Yemi Obafemi
Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s planned 12-day trip to Japan and Brazil, urging him to prioritise visiting Nigeria’s troubled states over attending lengthy foreign conferences.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced on Wednesday that Tinubu will depart Abuja on Thursday, August 14, for a two-nation tour, with a stopover in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
In Japan, Tinubu will attend the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama from August 20 to 22, before heading to Brasilia, Brazil, for a two-day state visit from August 24 to 25.
Reacting via his X handle, Obi described the President’s frequent foreign trips as insensitive, given the country’s worsening insecurity, economic hardship, and rising hunger.
“Our President, who has not found it worthy to visit any of our troubled states, takes joy in travelling abroad at the slightest invitation or excuse,” Obi said
“These overseas conferences contribute little or no tangible value to our nation’s woes, and where a trip is necessary, it should be completed in a few days, not prolonged unnecessarily.”
He noted that the event in Japan begins on August 20, questioning why the President was leaving six days earlier.
Obi also criticised Tinubu’s previous week-long visit to St. Lucia before the BRICS Summit, where Nigeria participated only as an observer.
Obi urged the President to undertake state tours within Nigeria to “see, listen, and learn” firsthand about citizens’ suffering, insisting that Nigerians expect “100% effort and tireless commitment” from their leader.
“Mr. President must know that he is not a tourist but the Chief Executive of a troubled nation,” Obi added, stressing the need for a strict travel schedule and a constant presence at home.
