Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, has slammed President Bola Tinubu for prioritizing vacations over addressing Nigeria’s pressing issues. Obi expressed his disappointment in a social media post, questioning the timing of Tinubu’s trip to Saint Lucia, which included both official engagements and personal vacation.
Obi believes Tinubu’s trip is ill-timed, given the deepening national crises, including insecurity and hunger ravaging the country.
Obi emphasized that a president’s duty is to prioritize the nation’s challenges, not indulge in leisure trips while citizens suffer.
He highlighted the disparity between the president’s foreign trips and the needs of local communities, such as Minna in Niger State, which was severely affected by flooding.
Obi urged Tinubu to focus on solving Nigeria’s problems, citing the need for selfless and exemplary leadership .
Obi has consistently criticized Tinubu’s frequent foreign trips, noting that the president has spent over 180 days abroad in more than 30 trips since taking office. According to Obi, this amounts to over 30% of Tinubu’s time in office, raising concerns about his commitment to addressing urgent national issues.
“He is now heading for about his 10th trip to France in two years, this time for his annual holiday. It does look like Mr. President is running away from Nigeria at every slight opportunity. And one would wonder why so much of his two years in office has been spent on holidays or away from the very country he was elected to preside over.” Obi wrote on his X (twitter) handle following Tinubu’s trip.
“Meanwhile, at least 79% of Nigerians have been reported to be facing food insecurity, that is over 180 million people facing hunger. Nigeria, just last month, was declared the worst country to give birth, and just weeks ago, the worst place to live, with the world’s worst life expectancy.
We deserve a president with all hands on deck to solve these issues. Across Nigeria, last month alone while Mr. President was on one of his very many trips, over 50 people were killed in the horrifying mosque and village attack in Katsina State, with over 60 people kidnapped.
“This is exclusive of the many bandit attacks and kidnappings just last month. One would have expected that the president would at least visit one of these states when he arrived 6 days ago, or at least visit Niger State where just yesterday, 60 of our citizens, women and young children, died in a boat mishap with many more still missing.
“What would it have taken the president to take a less than 30-minute trip to Niger State from Abuja in his jet? Mr. President could have at least visited the grieving families in Niger before jetting off again.
“Where is the compassion for Nigerian lives, Mr. President? How many more need to die for you to preside over the country? No holiday is more important than the Nigerian lives you swore to protect. At a time when Nigerians need leadership, empathy, and presence, a President should not choose foreign holidays.
“True leadership is about sacrifice and the ability to improve healthcare, invest in quality education, pull millions out of poverty, and guarantee the security of every citizen.” he wrote.
Obi lost the 2023 presidential election to Tinubu.
