● Chastizes the president for abandoning Nigerians and going abroad at the least opportunity
Former Governor of Anambra State and presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi has accused President Bola Tinubu of abandoning ordinary Nigerians who are seeking economic salvation at their time of need.
Obi said in a statement that rather than go abroad to enjoy his annual vacation, Tinubu ought to spend his vacation within the country, stressing that as the head of government the President should be the one marketing the tourism potentials of the country.
“The President of Nigeria should be the chief marketer of Nigeria as a tourism destination, as other comparable countries do.
“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”, Obi remarked
Castigating the president for spending scarce resources abroad on holidays Obi maintained, “Nigeria is in deep crisis. Nigerians can barely afford food and transportation. Insecurity is ravaging communities, and thousands of children are unable to access education because of insecurity.
“Just days ago, about 600 Nigerians, predominantly women, children, and the elderly, were reportedly abducted during Juma’at prayers in Niger State. Yet, at this critical moment, the President has left the country for another holiday.”
Statistics referred to by the NDC presidential candidate suggest that government expenditure on presidential trips and related travel expenses between June 2023 and April 2026 amounted to about ₦37.64 billion. The stats also show that when the three-week holiday is over, the President would have spent approximately 261 days outside Nigeria.
“Only ₦36 million was reportedly released to the Federal Ministry of Health in 2025, despite a capital allocation of ₦218 billion, in a country of over 230 million people”, Obi lamented, “This is the calamity befalling our country today.”
“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. Leadership is about priorities.
“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 former Anambra State Governor added.
