Tinubu’s Trip Cancellation: A Masterclass in Political Tokenism and National Neglect.

By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com

“Why Symbolic Gestures Cannot Substitute Real Leadership in a Nation Under Siege.”

Nigeria stands once again at the crossroads of tragedy and spectacle. The recent announcement by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that he had cancelled his planned diplomatic trip to South Africa and Angola has been celebrated by his spokespersons as a sign of empathy and national concern. Yet, upon deeper scrutiny, this decision is nothing more than a politically expedient performance; an empty gesture crafted for media applause rather than national healing.

True leadership is not measured by cancelled flights or televised speeches. It is measured by courage, presence, decisions and the unwavering will to confront crises head-on. What the Tinubu administration has offered Nigerians, however, is a steady parade of optics devoid of substance.

The Nation is Burning, Yet Leadership Remains Distant. The kidnapping of the Maga schoolgirls in Kebbi State is not an isolated tragedy; it is part of an entrenched pattern of violence born from years of weak security architecture. According to the UNICEF 2024 Nigeria Education Safety Report, more than 1,680 schoolchildren have been abducted in northern Nigeria since 2014. The Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2024 identifies Nigeria as the 8th MOST TERROR-IMPACTED nation in the world, a decline from its earlier ranking but still a staggeringly high position for Africa’s SUPPOSED giant.

In this context, President Tinubu’s cancelled trip falls flat. It does not address the root of the insecurity crisis. It does not inspire confidence. It does not change the fact that 25 innocent schoolgirls remain missing, their families plunged into grief, uncertainty and fear.

Instead, what Nigerians received was a symbolic gesture; what American political theorist Dr. David Easton once termed “the politics of attention without the politics of solution.”

If the Presidency disagrees with the assertion that this is mere tokenism, then let it prove otherwise:
Let President Tinubu temporarily relocate to Kebbi and other conflict zones in the North.
Let him walk the streets where blood has been spilled.
Let him face the parents whose children were taken under his watch.
Let him demonstrate what leadership looks like in times of trial. Anything less is political theatre.

Leadership is Proven on the Frontlines, Not Inside the Villa. History honours leaders who stand with their people in times of peril. During World War II, Winston Churchill famously declared, “I must up and doing-standing firm with my people in the darkest hour.” He walked through bombed-out London streets, inspiring courage that outlived him.

On the African continent, Nelson Mandela repeatedly emphasised that “a leader must be prepared to give up everything for the freedom and safety of his people.”

President Tinubu, however, remains ensconced within the safety of the Presidential Villa while ordinary Nigerians are slaughtered, kidnapped or forced to flee their communities.

The contrast is jarring. The optics are damning. And the symbolism is hollow.

If a political crisis broke out, such as the Rivers State controversy earlier this year, President Tinubu would deploy negotiations, resources, intelligence networks, emissaries and even questionable state powers to restore political control.

But when the blood of children is involved, when families are destroyed, the response suddenly becomes gentle, symbolic and empty.

The APC’s Governance Model: Deny, Deflect, Distract. The pattern under the APC-led administration is now unmistakable:

Deny the scale of insecurity

Deflect responsibility

Distract the public with symbolic gestures

From the excuses surrounding fuel subsidy removal chaos, to the controversial foreign trips, to the ongoing collapse in purchasing power as confirmed by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the government’s instinct has been defensive rather than reformative.

When 121 students were abducted in Kaduna in March 2024, the government promised decisive action. Today, many remain unaccounted for.

When bandits sacked communities in Niger, Benue and Zamfara, government spokespersons issued standard press releases condemning the attacks and nothing more.

When farmers in Plateau were massacred on Christmas Eve 2023, the Presidency pledged “RENEWED RESOLVE.” Yet attacks have continued into 2024 and 2025.

As Prof. Jibrin Ibrahim, a respected political scientist, stated in a 2024 security symposium in Abuja: “Nigeria’s problem is not the absence of policies but the absence of political will to enforce them.”

This absence of political will is what makes Tinubu’s trip cancellation both predictable and meaningless.

Insecurity Has Become Part of Nigeria’s Daily Vocabulary. The recent attacks in Kwara State serve as a grim reminder that insecurity is not a northern problem, it is a Nigerian problem. In the last 18 months alone, the following tragedies have unfolded:

Over 4,300 Nigerians killed in violent attacks (ACLED Data, 2024).

More than 7,800 kidnappings recorded nationwide (SBM Intelligence).

Over 3 million displaced persons, predominantly in the North (International Organization for Migration, 2024).

These numbers are not mere statistics. They are a reflection of the lived reality of Nigerians who sleep with one eye open and pray that bandits, terrorists or unknown gunmen do not strike before dawn.

As Kenyan writer Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o once said,
“A nation that cannot guarantee the safety of its citizens has forfeited the moral right to govern.” This is the tragic threshold Nigeria continues to approach under the APC-led government.

A Nation Cannot Be Saved by Optics. A cancelled trip to South Africa and Angola does nothing to:

Improve intelligence gathering

Strengthen border security

Restore morale among troops

Rescue abducted children

Stop bandit financing networks

Reform the broken policing system

Restore confidence in national leadership

Nigeria does not need presidential theatrics. It needs a leader ready to confront danger, not one who stands afar issuing statements.

Leadership is action—not ANNOUNCEMENT.
Leadership is sacrifice—not SYMBOLISM.
Leadership is presence—not PERFORMANCE.

Anything short of this will continue to erode the credibility of a Presidency struggling to command public trust.

Nigerians Are Tired of Tokenism. Enough of platitudes. Enough of condolences. Enough of optics. Enough of “we condemn this attack.” Enough of “the President has cancelled his trip.” The Nigerian people demand serious, sustained and tangible actions:

A national security overhaul

Real reforms within the police and military

Decentralised community policing

Cutting off the financial networks of bandits and terrorists

Holding governors accountable for security lapses

Presidential presence in conflict zones; not aloofness in Abuja

As the late Chinua Achebe wisely noted:
“A leader who does not listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing to say.” Nigeria is rapidly approaching that point.

Ultimate Assessment: Rise to the Occasion or Step Aside. The safety of Nigerians cannot be reduced to a political drama staged for international cameras. It cannot be managed through symbolism, optics, or cancelled trips.

This nation demands seriousness—not SYMBOLISM.

If President Bola Ahmed Tinubu truly wishes to write his name in the book of honour, he must:

Leave the Villa

Stand with the people

Reclaim the nation from agents of terror

Demonstrate courage worthy of the office he holds

And if he cannot, he must make way for those who can.

Nigeria deserves no less.
Nigeria demands far more.
Nigeria cannot survive on tokenism.