Obi knocks Tinubu over frequent foreign trips

Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has knocked President Bola Tinubu over his frequent foreign trips even as the country continues to face unprecedented insecurity challenges and hardship.

Obi who lampooned the President in a post on his verified X handle on Saturday, said in January alone, Tinubu has already spent 23 days on foreign trips, while spending only eight days in a country he is supposed to lead.

According to the former Anambra State governor, the first month of the year is a time any leader should sit down at home and take a critical measure of the challenges that lie ahead, decrying that the situation in the country continues to worsen.

But he however lamented that such issues do not bother President Tinubu who has continued to junket all over the world to the detriment of the country and the citizens who elected him into office.

In the post he tagged “A Distressing January for Nigeria,” Obi regretted that insecurity has surged alarmingly across the nation with several cases of kidnappings, killings and violent attacks occuring in different parts of the country but all these has not convinced Tinubu to stay back in the country and tackle the menace.

“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,” Obi wrote.

“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.

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“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,” he said.

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