Atiku demands proof of Tinubu’s Umrah, alleges France is real destination

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu of using his announced Umrah pilgrimage as a smokescreen, claiming credible intelligence suggests France, not Saudi Arabia, is the President’s actual destination, Gazette NGR reports.

In a statement issued by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku alleged Tinubu might make only a brief appearance in Makkah before proceeding to France. He also questioned whether the trip was connected to the President’s health or a reported $20 billion loan request involving a French business partner, calling on the Presidency to disclose Tinubu’s full itinerary.

Atiku said that if the President is genuinely travelling to pray for Nigeria, the Presidency should release clear, date-stamped photographs and videos daily showing him at the Kaaba performing the rites of Umrah. “Nigerians deserve verifiable proof of the President’s presence in Makkah and a transparent account of his daily activities in the Holy Land,” the statement read.

While saying he and other Nigerians would join Tinubu in prayers for the country’s peace and progress, Atiku cautioned that “no one should invoke the name of Almighty Allah in vain,” stressing that a spiritual mission undertaken on behalf of the nation must be handled with seriousness and transparency.

He maintained that an official trip presented as a national mission remains a matter of public interest, urging the Presidency to clarify the President’s daily engagements and disclose how the trip is being funded.