Tinubu Prefers Foreign Trips, Only Returns To Welcome APC Defectors — Obi

Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has accused President Bola Tinubu of prioritising international engagements over domestic challenges.

He said while the president prefers going abroad on foreign trips and only returns to receive defectors to the All Progressives Congress (APC), domestic issues suffer.

Speaking on Sunday in a post on X, Obi described January as “a distressing month” for Nigeria which uncovered how rapidly conditions in the country were deteriorating.

He said insecurity worsened across the country in January, with reports of killings and “hundreds of kidnappings and abductions”, with captors demanding millions in ransom.

The ex-Anambra governor added that many farmers are still unable to return to their farms due to persistent violence, worsening 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,” he wrote.

“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.”

The politician criticised the country’s power sector, noting that Nigeria experienced two national grid collapses in January.

He also faulted Tinubu on his travel schedule, adding that while leaders of other countries focus on domestic governance at the start of the year, Nigeria’s president has prioritised foreign trips.

“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,” he added.

“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.”

He accused the political class, particularly the All Progressives Congress (APC), of being focused on power struggles and election calculations at the expense of governance.

“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,” he wrote.

“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,” Obi said.