Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, has criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he describes as ongoing indifference and insensitivity to Nigeria’s worsening crises. Obi expressed concern over the President’s extensive travel schedule, noting that Tinubu has spent more than 200 out of his 806 days in office outside the country.
In a statement posted on his X handle Thursday morning, titled “Again Our President Moves as the Nation Bleeds,” Obi condemned the President’s latest two-nation trip to Japan and Brazil, with a stopover in Dubai.
“While the nation suffers from severe insecurity, economic collapse, and widespread hunger, we have a President who appears disengaged from the realities on the ground,” Obi stated. “He continues to travel extensively, often departing days before scheduled events, while failing to visit Nigeria’s own crisis-hit states.”
Obi questioned the rationale behind Tinubu’s repeated travels, citing a recent visit to Brazil and now another trip back to the same country. “How does one justify returning to Brazil so soon after a recent meeting with its President, while unresolved challenges continue to mount at home?”
According to the announced itinerary, President Tinubu is scheduled to attend the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama, Japan, from August 20 to 22. However, Obi noted that the itinerary does not state a return date, further underscoring the President’s prolonged absences from Nigeria.
He also criticized Tinubu’s prior one-week state visit to St. Lucia ahead of the BRICS summit, where Nigeria merely participated as an observer, unlike full member nations whose leaders arrived only shortly before the event.
“Our nation is now ranked among the most insecure, economically fragile, and food-insecure countries in the world. These problems demand the full attention of the President—not endless foreign trips,” Obi stressed. “Even when international travel is necessary, it should be short and purposeful—not extended stays that add little or no value to the Nigerian people.”
Obi called on Tinubu to prioritize domestic issues by visiting troubled regions across the country, listening directly to citizens, and responding with decisive action. “Nigerians are not expecting miracles, but they deserve to see genuine effort, urgency, and compassion from their leader,” he said.
He concluded with a pointed reminder: “Mr. President must understand that he is not a tourist, but the Chief Executive of a nation in distress. His schedule must reflect the urgency, presence, and dedication required to steer Nigeria toward recovery.”
