Opposition figure Peter Obi demanded answers over President Bola Tinubu’s extended time away from the country, accusing the leader of neglecting dire economic and security woes in Africa’s most populous nation, amid reports of Tinubu’s frequent overseas trips and lack of direct communication with citizens.
Obi, who ran for president in 2023, highlighted Nigeria’s escalating crises, including extreme poverty affecting 140 million people by year’s end, widespread hunger, youth unemployment topping 80 million, and soaring infant mortality rates.
“We are grappling with one of the hungriest populations globally, staggering insecurity, an unemployment rate exceeding 80 million among our youth, and one of the worst places to be born, with infant mortality rates worse than those of a nation seven times our size,” Obi said in a statement.
He noted Tinubu had spent 196 days abroad in 2025 — more than at home — and has not addressed Nigerians since December, opting instead for a European holiday during a period marked by “hunger, anxiety, and uncertainty.”
“There was no New Year address, no national broadcast, no leadership voice for reassurance or guidance,” Obi added, criticizing reliance on foreign media and presidential aides for updates on national matters.
Obi urged Tinubu to emulate leaders of other developing nations by engaging directly with citizens: “We are not asking for perfection; we demand presence. Nigerians are eager to hear from their president through direct media briefings. They deserve to understand the state of their country.”
He warned: “In a time of crisis, the absence of leadership is not only troubling but also perilous. Silence in the face of crisis is the loudest form of failure.”
Tinubu’s administration has not immediately responded to the criticisms, which come as the president faces mounting pressure over economic policies and security challenges in the West African giant.
