Lagos, 29 June 2025 – Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has sharply criticised President Bola Tinubu’s decision to embark on a trip to Saint Lucia, describing it as a display of insensitivity to Nigeria’s escalating challenges. The trip, which includes both official engagements and personal leisure, comes at a time when the country grapples with rampant insecurity, widespread hunger, and recent devastating floods.
In a strongly worded statement on X, Obi expressed dismay at the President’s travel plans, highlighting the dire state of governance in Nigeria. “In the past two years, Nigeria has lost more people to all sorts of criminality than a country that is officially at war,” Obi wrote. “Nigerians are hungrier, and most people do not know where their next meal will come from.”
The Presidency confirmed that President Tinubu departed Nigeria on Saturday, 28 June 2025, for Saint Lucia, following an announcement by Saint Lucian Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre. The visit includes official engagements on 30 June and 1 July, with the remainder of the trip designated for personal vacation. Obi, however, questioned the timing of the trip, noting that Tinubu had recently returned from a holiday in Lagos.
Obi pointed to recent tragedies that he believes warrant the President’s attention at home. In Niger State, a catastrophic flood in Minna claimed over 200 lives, with more than 700 people still missing. Similarly, in Benue State, over 200 individuals were killed in a brutal attack. While Tinubu visited Makurdi, the state capital, Obi described the visit as a “political jamboree” rather than a genuine gesture of condolence, noting that the President did not visit the affected village.
Drawing a stark comparison, Obi highlighted that Makurdi, with an area of 937.4 km² and a population of 489,839, and Minna, spanning 6,789 km² with 532,000 residents, dwarf Saint Lucia, which has an area of 617 km² and a population of 180,000. “I don’t think the situation in this country today calls for leisure for anybody in a position of authority, more so the President, on whose desk the buck stops,” Obi stated.
The former Anambra State governor accused the Tinubu administration of prioritising the interests of the elite and focusing on the 2027 elections while neglecting the plight of the poor. “This regime has repeatedly shown its insensitivity and lack of passion for the populace,” he said, urging the government to reverse its “obvious indifference” to the suffering of ordinary Nigerians.
Obi concluded with a call for equitable distribution of Nigeria’s resources, warning that the current trajectory risks further entrenching poverty. “The God-given resources of this country belong to all, not to a few,” he said. “The time has come to put a stop to this drift before it consumes all.”
As Nigeria continues to face mounting challenges, Obi’s remarks have sparked renewed debate about leadership priorities in a nation beset by crises.
