{
  "id": 4500073,
  "title": "Atiku: No good father heads for airport when his house is on fire",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/30/atiku-no-good-father-heads-for-airport-when-his-house-is-on-fire",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-30T19:38:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Trust",
    "slug": "daily-trust",
    "url": "https://dailytrust.com/atiku-no-good-father-heads-for-the-airport-when-his-house-is-on-fire/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has criticized President Bola Tinubu for departing for an overseas trip while Nigeria grapples with a multitude of crises. The current trip, a three-week vacation in Europe, is part of Tinubu's annual leave. Sunday Dare, a presidential aide, claimed the trip is well-deserved, as the president has worked hard and requires rest. Atiku, a presidential candidate for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), disagreed with the timing of the journey. \"Nigeria may not be facing a constitutional vacuum today, but there is a disturbing vacuum of political leadership\", Atiku stated. He highlighted the hardships faced by millions of Nigerians, including high petrol prices, food shortages, and insecurity. Atiku emphasized that the president's travel decision is even more perplexing, given that Vice-President Kashim Shettima, who is currently attending an African Union meeting in Angola, is on official duty abroad. Atiku argued that leadership involves knowing when to attend to one's country's needs, especially during times of crisis. He pointed out that a father would not abandon his burning home and family to travel abroad. Atiku concluded by stating that while a president does not have to forego rest or travel, Nigeria is burning, and the president is choosing a boarding pass over the fire extinguisher. He acknowledged that millions of Nigerians are being adversely affected by hardship, while their leader continues to fly.",
  "summary": "Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has tackled President Bola Tinubu for embarking on overseas trip while the country is battling crisis on many fronts. Tinubu is currently en route to Europe, on a three-week vacation as part of his annual leave. Sunday Dare, Presidential aide, said the trip is well deserved because the president has worked […]",
  "key_points": [
    "Former VP Atiku criticizes Tinubu's overseas trip during crises",
    "Nigeria faces multiple challenges including high petrol prices and insecurity",
    "Atiku likens president's travel to abandoning burning home to family"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}