Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, on Tuesday, took a swipe at President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing the President’s planned state visit to the United Kingdom on the heels of renewed bombings in Maiduguri, as “callous, indefensible and morally bankrupt.”
In a detailed statement on Tuesday, Frank said the coordinated explosions that ripped through Maiduguri on Monday evening – including near the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, the main market and the post office – exposing civilians to mass casualties – are “a tragic, blood-soaked verdict on a failing security architecture.”
Quoting official figures, he said no fewer than 23 Nigerians were killed and over 100 injured in the attacks blamed on suspected suicide bombers, warning that the country is “bleeding while its leadership is distracted.”
“This is not just another attack – it is a national emergency,” Frank declared. “Our people are being slaughtered, our soldiers are under relentless assault, yet the President is preparing for a ceremonial outing in UK. That is not leadership; that is abdication of responsibility.”
He demanded the immediate cancellation of the UK trip, insisting that any departure from Nigeria at such a moment would amount to “a cruel abandonment of grieving citizens.”
“No responsible leader boards a plane to wine, dine and dance when his country is burying its dead,” he said. “A President with empathy goes to Maiduguri, not London. He stands with victims, not with banquet hosts.”
Frank widened his attack to the British government, accusing it of “staggering hypocrisy and moral blindness” for extending the invitation in the first place.
“The UK is not ignorant of Nigeria’s reality,” he said. “It knows about the escalating insecurity, the mass unemployment strangling millions, and the catastrophic electricity crisis that has crippled industries. It is also aware of deepening concerns over democratic backsliding – a National Assembly and judiciary many believe have been weakened and silenced, and a political system tilting dangerously towards a one-party state.”
“Yet, in the face of all this, Britain rolls out the red carpet. That is not diplomacy – it is complicity. It is a celebration in the face of tragedy.
“It is also aware of growing concerns about the state of democracy, including allegations that Nigeria is drifting towards a one-party system under Tinubu, with both the National Assembly and judiciary weakened and silenced.”
Frank said the timing of the visit sends “a dangerous and insulting signal” that Nigerian lives are expendable and governance failures can be overlooked for the sake of ceremonial photo opportunity.
He added: “We challenge the UK to provide ten reasons that justify this honour at a time like this. To many Nigerians, this invitation appears to be a subtle endorsement of a second term, despite widespread concerns about governance and the credibility of the last election.”
Drawing comparisons, he noted that if a similar level of violence occurred in the UK, its leaders would very much suspend ceremonial engagements and focus on national security.
He also condemned what he described as an “obscene and indefensible convoy of power” accompanying the President, calling it proof of a government “detached from pain and addicted to excess.”
According to him, the delegation includes Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu.
Also listed are Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole; Minister of Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa; Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani; and Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd).
He added that National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed, are equally part of the entourage.
“At a time of mass burials and national grief, what possible justification exists for ferrying such a large retinue of officials abroad?” Frank queried. “This is not governance — it is extravagance in the face of suffering.”
Frank further alleged that Nigeria’s anti-terror war has been fatally weakened by corruption and internal sabotage, claiming that resources and military hardware meant to defeat insurgents are being diverted.
“It is an open secret that mismanagement and corruption have crippled our security response. There are disturbing reports of weapons meant for our troops finding their way into the hands of terrorists. Yet, the government continues to act as though all is well,” he said.
He urged the international community to fundamentally rethink its engagement with Nigeria, warning that uncritical support risks emboldening failure rather than solving the crisis.
In sharp contrast, Frank reserved rare praise for U.S. President Donald Trump, commending what he described as a “clear-eyed and decisive posture” toward Nigeria’s security challenges.
“While some global actors prefer ceremonies and silence, Trump has demonstrated a willingness to stand firmly with Nigeria in confronting terrorism. That is the kind of principled support Nigerians respect,” he said.
Frank told the Presidency: “that Nigeria is in mourning. This is a moment for leadership, compassion and decisive action – not foreign trips, not pageantry, not political theatre. Any President who chooses celebration over solidarity at a time like this has lost the moral right to lead.”
Signed:
Comrade Timi Frank
ULMWP Ambassador (East Africa and Middle East) and
Senior Advisor, Global Friendship City Association (GFCA), USA.
