Abuja — Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has condemned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s frequent foreign travels, describing them as insensitive to the country’s worsening socio-economic and security crises.
Obi, in a statement on Wednesday, expressed concern that the President, who recently returned from Brazil, is embarking on another trip to the same country — this time as part of a two-nation tour to Japan and Brazil.
According to the presidential itinerary, Tinubu is scheduled to depart Abuja on Thursday, August 14, stopping over in Dubai before proceeding to Japan for the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama from August 20 to 22. The itinerary did not specify his return date.
Obi criticized what he described as Tinubu’s “joy in travelling abroad at the slightest invitation or excuse” while neglecting to visit states grappling with insecurity, economic hardship, and humanitarian crises.
“While our people face extreme poverty, insecurity, and hunger, the President’s prolonged absences undermine the urgent need for on-the-ground leadership,” Obi said. He noted that some trips, if necessary at all, could be handled in a few days instead of extended stays abroad.
Referencing Tinubu’s recent week-long visit to St. Lucia ahead of the BRICS Summit — where Nigeria attended as an observer — Obi argued that such travel patterns project a lack of urgency in addressing Nigeria’s internal challenges.
The former Anambra State governor called for a shift in priorities, urging the President to spend more time touring troubled states to directly assess citizens’ struggles and implement solutions.
“Nigerians know that our huge problems cannot be solved overnight, but they want to see 100% effort and tireless commitment,” Obi stressed. “The President must remember that he is not a tourist but the Chief Executive of a troubled nation.”
