196 days abroad amid Nigeria’s crisis, Peter Obi slams Tinubu’s ‘neglectful’ absence

Abdullateef Fowewe

Labour Party presidential candidate in the last general election, Peter Obi has questioned President Bola Tinubu’s whereabouts and leadership amid escalating national crises, accusing him of spending more time abroad than at home last year.

Obi in a statement on Monday titled “Where is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?” highlighted Nigeria’s dire statistics, noting that by year’s end, the country will host “approximately 140 million people living in extreme poverty—the highest number in the world.”

He pointed to “one of the hungriest populations globally, staggering insecurity, an unemployment rate exceeding 80 million among our youth,” and infant mortality rates worse than those in nations seven times Nigeria’s size.

The statement criticized Tinubu’s travel record, “Spending 196 days abroad in 2025 alone—more than he has spent within his own country, at a time when we face profound crises.”

Obi further decried the president’s silence since December 2025, including no New Year address, leaving Nigerians to learn of U.S. military strikes on Nigerian soil from foreign media rather than their leader.

“Where is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria? This is not just a question; it’s a critical demand for accountability in a national emergency,” Obi wrote, contrasting Nigeria’s situation with leaders in other developing nations who “step up in times of crisis.”

He further lambasted the use of “an AI-generated image” earlier this year instead of direct addresses, calling the current governance “not governance; it’s neglect.”

Obi urged direct media briefings, warning that “silence in the face of crisis is the loudest form of failure” and that progress requires “unity and consensus” starting with “strong leadership.”

The statement concluded with Obi’s signature optimism, “A New Nigeria is not just POssible; it is essential.“