Former Anambra State Governor and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for embarking on another foreign vacation amid worsening insecurity, economic hardship and challenges facing Nigerians.
Obi, in a statement reacting to the President’s three-week vacation in Europe, said the timing of the trip was insensitive given the crises confronting the country.
According to him, Nigerians are struggling to afford basic necessities, while insecurity continues to ravage communities and prevent thousands of children from accessing education.
His criticism came days after reports that about 600 Nigerians, predominantly women, children and elderly people, were abducted during Juma’at prayers in Niger State.
Obi said it was troubling that the President would leave the country on vacation at such a critical moment.
He cited reports indicating that government expenditure on presidential trips and related travel expenses between June 2023 and April 2026 stood at about ₦37.64 billion, with Tinubu spending approximately 261 days outside the country during the period.
The former governor contrasted the figure with the reported ₦36 million released to the Federal Ministry of Health in 2025, despite a capital allocation of ₦218 billion, describing the disparity as a reflection of the priorities of the government.
“This is the calamity befalling our country today,” Obi said, arguing that a government that could spend tens of billions of naira on presidential travel while critical sectors remained underfunded should be questioned.
He said leadership was fundamentally about setting the right priorities, stressing that the President should be more concerned with addressing the country’s challenges when citizens could barely feed their families, move safely, access healthcare or send their children to school.
Obi also challenged Tinubu to promote domestic tourism by spending more time visiting destinations across Nigeria rather than repeatedly travelling abroad.
“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.
According to him, the Nigerian President should serve as the country’s “chief marketer” by showcasing Nigeria’s tourism potential to the world, as leaders in other countries do.
Obi argued that increased domestic travel by political leaders, celebrities, businesspeople and ordinary citizens could unlock significant economic opportunities for local communities.
He noted that tourism could create jobs while boosting hospitality, transportation, agriculture, entertainment, crafts and small businesses, as well as attracting investment and foreign exchange.
“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 prioritised the country and actively planned for a better future.
“That is the kind of leadership that the partnership between H.E. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and me will bring,” he added.
