Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has sharply criticized President Bola Tinubu for embarking on another foreign trip, this time to Saint Lucia and Brazil, shortly after a holiday in Lagos. In a statement titled “No, Mr President, This Is Not the Time for Holidaying,” posted on his verified X handle, Obi described the trip as ill-timed and insensitive, given Nigeria’s escalating insecurity, hunger, and economic hardship. He expressed shock at Tinubu’s decision to prioritize leisure abroad while the nation faces severe challenges, including devastating floods in Minna, Niger State, where over 200 lives were lost and 700 remain missing, without a presidential visit to show solidarity.
Obi highlighted that Tinubu’s itinerary includes official engagements in Saint Lucia on June 30 and July 1, with the remainder of the trip reserved for personal vacation, followed by attendance at the BRICS Summit in Brazil. He argued that Nigeria, which he claims has lost more lives to criminality in the past two years than some war-torn countries, demands urgent leadership presence at home. Obi also criticized Tinubu’s earlier visit to Makurdi, Benue State, after a massacre, calling it a “political jamboree” rather than a condolence mission, as it involved celebratory displays instead of solemnity.
Drawing comparisons, Obi noted that Minna and Makurdi are significantly larger than Saint Lucia, yet receive less attention from the President. He urged Tinubu to focus on addressing Nigeria’s crises, warning that the government’s indifference to the suffering of the poor must be reversed to prevent further national decline. Obi’s remarks underscore a growing disconnect between the administration’s priorities and the needs of Nigerians.
