The Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has expressed concern over the recent foreign trips made by both President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima. Obi believes these trips, which occurred while Nigeria is facing significant internal challenges, do not reflect responsible leadership or fiscal prudence.
President Tinubu left Nigeria on October 2, 2024, for the United Kingdom on a two-week working leave. On October 11, after his time in the UK, he traveled to France for what was described as “another important engagement.” Meanwhile, Vice President Shettima left for Sweden on October 9 for a two-day official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations with the Scandinavian country.
The Presidency defended both leaders’ absences, stating that the nation remains fully functional, and no leadership vacuum exists. A statement from the Presidency highlighted that both the President and his deputy were still managing the country’s affairs while abroad.
However, Obi disagreed with this defense. In a post on his social media platform on Friday, the former Anambra State governor expressed his disappointment, stating that the absence of both top leaders was concerning given the many issues facing the country.
He 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.”
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.
“It would take about 4 times the time and distance it takes to travel from Paris to Stockholm to travel from Abuja to Stockholm. This does not represent the kind of fiscal responsibility and common sense that is expected of leaders whose people are facing severe hunger and poverty.
“This is the time to show true and committed leadership to the people by making decisions that prioritize the well-being of the people and effective management of the nation’s scarce resources in alleviating the sufferings of the people.”
