Obi Urges Nigerians To Vote Tinubu Out Over Frequent Holidays

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has criticised President Bola Tinubu over his frequent trips abroad, urging Nigerians to vote the president out of office in the 2027 election.

Obi’s criticism followed Tinubu’s announcement that he was leaving for another vacation, this time embarking on a three-week holiday in Europe.

In a statement titled “President Tinubu Goes On Holiday Again,” Obi expressed concern that the president would leave the country for a vacation at a time when Nigerians were grappling with economic hardship, insecurity and challenges in accessing basic services.

He said Nigerians were struggling to afford food and transportation, while insecurity had continued to ravage communities and prevent thousands of children from accessing education.

Obi also referenced the reported abduction of about 600 Nigerians, predominantly women, children and elderly persons, during Juma’at prayers in Niger State.

He questioned the decision of the president to embark on another foreign holiday amid what he described as a critical situation in the country.

“Yet, at this critical moment, the President has left the country for another holiday,” Obi said.

The former Anambra State governor also raised concerns over reported government expenditure on presidential trips and related travel expenses.

According to him, government expenditure on presidential trips and related travel expenses between June 2023 and April 2026 amounted to about ₦N37.64bn, while Tinubu reportedly spent approximately 261 days outside Nigeria during the period.

Obi contrasted the reported spending with the funding of the health sector, claiming that only ₦36 million was released to the Federal Ministry of Health in 2025 despite a capital allocation of N218bn.

He argued that the figures reflected what he described as misplaced priorities by the government at a time when Nigeria’s population had exceeded 230 million.

“This is the calamity befalling our country today,” Obi said.

He maintained that a government that could spend billions of naira on presidential travel while critical sectors allegedly remained underfunded should not be allowed to continue in office.

“A government that can spend tens of billions on presidential travel while critical sectors remain starved of funds, and Nigerians are asked to endure worsening hardship, must not be allowed to continue,” he said.

Obi said leadership was fundamentally about setting the right priorities, arguing that the president should focus more on addressing the challenges confronting citizens than repeatedly travelling abroad.

“Leadership is about priorities,” he said.

“When citizens cannot feed their families, move safely, access healthcare, send their children to school, or sleep peacefully in their homes, the President should be more concerned about fixing the country than repeatedly leaving it.”

The NDC presidential candidate also advocated for greater patronage of domestic tourism, saying Nigeria’s president should lead efforts to promote the country’s tourism potential.

He said he looked forward to a situation where the Nigerian president could choose vacation destinations within the country, including Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Cross River, Bauchi and Ebonyi states.

“I look forward to a Nigeria where our President can vacation in Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Cross River State, Bauchi, Ebonyi, and many other destinations across our country,” he said.

Obi argued that promoting domestic tourism could generate significant economic benefits for communities across the country.

He said the president should serve as the “chief marketer of Nigeria as a tourism destination,” noting that increased domestic travel by political leaders, celebrities, businesspeople and ordinary citizens could stimulate economic activity.

According to him, tourism has the potential to create jobs and support several sectors, including hospitality, transportation, agriculture, entertainment, crafts and small businesses.

“Tourism creates jobs. It supports hospitality, transportation, agriculture, entertainment, crafts, and small businesses. It brings investment and foreign exchange and allows communities to benefit directly from their natural and cultural assets,” Obi said.

He further criticised what he described as the practice of exporting Nigeria’s wealth while importing pleasures that could be enjoyed within the country.

“We cannot continue to export our wealth and import our pleasures while our own enormous potential remains neglected,” he said.

Obi said Nigerians deserved leadership that would prioritise the country’s interests, care for citizens and formulate policies capable of improving their living conditions.

He added that the proposed political partnership between himself and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso would provide what he described as a new form of leadership for Nigeria.

“We deserve leadership that puts Nigeria first; leadership that cares and plans for a better Nigeria. That is the kind of leadership that the partnership between H.E. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and me will bring,” he said.