Labour Party presidential candidate and former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, has criticised Tinubu over his trip to Saint Lucia and Brazil, describing it as ill-timed and insensitive at a period Nigeria is battling insecurity and mass killings.
Obi reacted after the Presidency confirmed that Tinubu departed Nigeria on Saturday for what it called a mix of official engagements and private leisure time.
According to the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu will first be in Saint Lucia on a state visit intended to strengthen Nigeria’s engagement with Caribbean nations, before heading to Brazil for the 17th BRICS Summit scheduled for July 6 and 7, 2025.
Obi, in a statement shared on his X handle, said it was disturbing that such trips were being made when Nigerians were experiencing what he described as their worst period.
He noted that the actions of the administration show more focus on political survival than on the welfare of citizens.
He said the government’s priorities appear misplaced and disconnected from the country’s deepening crisis. “Dear Nigerians, I am struggling with my senses to understand what is happening to governance in this country,” he wrote.
He lamented that in the last two years, Nigeria had lost more people to criminality than countries officially at war, while hunger and hardship continue to worsen.
The LP chieftain questioned why the President would consider leisure at a time he had not visited Minna in Niger State, where over two hundred people died and more than 700 are still missing in a major flood disaster.
He also recalled Tinubu’s recent visit to Makurdi, describing it as more of a political outing than a condolence visit.
Obi compared the sizes and populations of the affected Nigerian locations with Saint Lucia, stressing that the President should not be taking private vacation time when the country faces pressing challenges.
He added that the administration has shown indifference to the suffering of the poor while prioritising the wealthy.
He said the situation demands urgency, not leisure, and urged the government to reverse what he termed its growing insensitivity.
According to him, Nigeria’s resources belong to everyone and leaders must focus on lifting citizens out of poverty.
