Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, has criticised President Bola Tinubu and his deputy, Vice President Kashim Shettima, for their international trips.
He expressed concern that the travels were taking place at a time when the country was facing domestic issues.
Chronicle NG reported that Tinubu left for the United Kingdom on October 2, 2024, for a two-week working vacation.
He later left the UK for France on Friday, October 11, for “another important engagement,” according to his Senior Special Assistant on Political and Other Matters, Ibrahim Masari.
Meanwhile, Shettima left Abuja on Wednesday for Sweden on a two-day trip to represent Nigeria in bilateral talks with the Scandinavian country.
The Presidency justified both trips on Wednesday, stating that Tinubu’s and his deputy’s absence did not create a leadership vacuum in Nigeria. It stated that the two key officers are “fully engaged with the nation’s affairs, even while away.”
However, in a post on his X on Friday, Obi, a former Anambra State governor, expressed concern that Tinubu and his deputy were not in the country when residents needed them the most.
Obi wrote, “While it is arguable that with the President and Vice President absent from the Villa, there is no vacancy in the Presidency, in a situation where both the President and Vice President are out of the country, as reported in the media yesterday, it’s concerning for a country with such myriads of domestic problems.
“The president had told us he would only be gone for 14 days. The 14 days have passed now, and we are waiting to see him in the country. One would have expected him to return earlier than expected, considering the volume of work that needs to be done in a troubled nation like ours.
“The untold hardship that has been unleashed on our people as a result of some of his administration’s policies is unimaginable, and we need his urgent attention to pilot the nation out of this present situation.”
According to Obi, since the President is reportedly in Paris, France, which is just about 833 nautical miles from Stockholm, Sweden, one wonders why he did not just attend the 2-day working visit to Sweden.’
Obi added, “He could simply have done it on his way back from France with his new powerful jet, which would have taken him a little over 2 hours. This would have saved time and the very scarce national resources we need critically at this time.
“Instead, he delegated the Vice President, who needed to travel 3055 nautical miles, over nine hours, and (about 4 times the travel time from Paris) Abuja, Nigeria, to Stockholm, Sweden, to represent him at the event.
“This is the time to show true and committed leadership to the people by making decisions that prioritise the well-being of the people and effective management of the nation’s scarce resources in alleviating the sufferings of the people.”
Meanwhile, the trips mark only the second time both officials have left the country at the same time since taking office 17 months ago.
Between April and early May 2024, while Tinubu was in London, Shettima departed Nigeria for Nairobi to attend the International Development Association Heads of State Summit, having previously visited the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia for the World Economic Forum.
