Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has strongly criticised President Bola Tinubu’s decision to embark on a 12-day foreign trip at a time when Nigeria is grappling with severe insecurity, economic hardship, and widespread hunger.
In a statement posted on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Thursday, Obi accused the President of showing “insensitivity” to the country’s challenges by prioritising overseas engagements over pressing domestic issues.
According to the official itinerary, President Tinubu is scheduled to depart Abuja today, August 14, for a two-nation trip to Japan and Brazil, with a stopover in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. While in Japan, he is expected to attend the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama from August 20 to 22. The itinerary does not indicate his return date to Nigeria.
Obi questioned the necessity of the extended trip, pointing out that the President had only recently returned from Brazil and could have limited his time abroad to a maximum of five days, given that the Japanese event does not start until August 20.
The Labour Party chieftain also criticised Tinubu’s travel pattern, referencing a previous state visit to St. Lucia that lasted a week before attending the BRICS Summit, where Nigeria participated only as an observer. Obi noted that other world leaders typically arrive a day or two before such events, unlike Tinubu’s prolonged absences.
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“Our President, who has not found it worthy to visit any of our troubled states, takes joy in travelling to foreign countries at the slightest invitation or excuse,” Obi wrote. He argued that the President should instead be touring Nigeria’s crisis-hit regions, engaging with communities, and taking urgent steps to address the nation’s security and economic challenges.
Highlighting Nigeria’s current ranking among the most insecure, economically fragile, and hunger-stricken nations in the world, Obi stressed that the country needs “competent leadership with capacity and compassion” that devotes full-time attention to governance.
“Mr. President must know that he is not a tourist but the Chief Executive of a troubled nation,” Obi said, calling for a “strict work and travel schedule” that reflects Nigeria’s urgent need for leadership presence and action.
As of press time, the Presidency has not responded to Obi’s remarks.