Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticized the frequent foreign trips by President Bola Tinubu.
Obi, in a statement released via his account in the early hours of Sunday, February 1, submitted that Tinubu prefers to stay abroad rather than stay in Nigeria.
In his analysis, Obi submitted that President Tinubu spent the majority of January outside the country and left Nigerians without credible leadership in the face of various challenges.
The former Anambra State Governor, in his criticism, listed challenges of insecurity, National Grid collapse and others facing Nigerians, but lamented that President Tinubu seems to prioritize international engagements over pressing national issues.
He added that Tinubu only returns to Nigeria to welcome defectors to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and jets out of the country again.
Obi charged the President and APC to desist from their obsession with power calculations and the next election cycle, and rather focus on tackling the challenges and struggles facing Nigerians.
The statement, titled, ‘A Distressing January for Nigeria’ reads in full:
“This first month serves as a critical measure of the challenges that lie ahead, and it is painfully evident that the situation in the country continues to worsen.
“Insecurity has surged alarmingly across the nation. In just January, we saw reports of several killings, hundreds of kidnappings and abductions that include children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers with the abductors demanding millions. Farmers remain unable to return to their farms plagued by ongoing insecurity which exacerbates food shortages and rural poverty.
“Education stands as a cornerstone of national development, yet countless children remain out of school and those in school cannot attend because of insecurity or teachers’ strikes. This is particularly tragic in Abuja, the seat of government, where schools remain shuttered. This is the same Abuja where billions were squandered on renovating a conference centre for the president and Bus Terminals. One must question whether our leaders genuinely appreciate the vital role of education.
“Our nation with the worst access to electricity without an abysmal supply have witnessed two grid collapses in just January.
“While leaders in other nations prioritise domestic governance in January, Nigeria’s president prioritises international engagements over pressing national issues. This month, he spent 23 days abroad across two trips—beginning the year overseas and returning on the 17th, and departing less than 10 days on the 26th to Türkiye, where he remains as of January 31. What urgent matters continuously warrant his absence from the nation? When he does return, it often appears to be merely to welcome defectors into the APC before he jets off again.
“The collective impact of these events paints a grim portrait of a nation grappling simultaneously with insecurity, economic distress, failing infrastructure, and profound social upheaval. Instead of confronting these urgent challenges head-on in pursuit of solutions, much of the political class remains engrossed in power calculations and the next election cycle. The ruling APC, in particular, seems more concerned with rallies and welcoming defectors than with visiting failing institutions or addressing the daily struggles of the Nigerian people.
“A new Nigeria is POssible. -PO.”
