Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has strongly criticized President Bola Tinubu’s planned trip to Saint Lucia, calling it poorly timed and insensitive given Nigeria’s worsening economic hardship and escalating insecurity.
President Tinubu is scheduled to leave Nigeria on Saturday, June 28, for Saint Lucia before heading to Brazil for the upcoming BRICS summit. However, Obi questioned the appropriateness of such travel, especially with part of the visit reportedly reserved for personal vacation.
In a statement posted on X, Obi said he was “shocked” to learn of the president’s itinerary, citing widespread suffering, hunger, and violence across the country.
“What I’ve witnessed over the past two years is shocking—poor governance, misplaced priorities, and energy focused on politics and elite interests while the masses are left to suffer,” he wrote.
Obi described Nigeria as one of the most insecure countries in the world, stating that more citizens have died from violence and criminality in recent years than in some war-torn nations.
“Nigerians are hungrier than ever. Most don’t know where their next meal will come from,” he added.
The former Anambra State governor said he initially didn’t believe the news of Tinubu’s Saint Lucia trip, especially following what he described as a recent “holiday” in Lagos. He cited Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre, who confirmed that only two days of Tinubu’s stay—June 30 and July 1—are designated for official duties, with the rest set aside for personal vacation.
“I didn’t want to believe anyone in authority, especially the President, would consider leisure at a time like this,” Obi said.
He also criticized Tinubu’s lack of response to domestic tragedies, including his failure to visit Minna, Niger State, where over 200 people reportedly died in recent floods.
“This is a President going for leisure when he couldn’t visit Minna, where hundreds of lives were lost,” Obi said.
He further called Tinubu’s visit to Makurdi, Benue State—after public outcry over violent attacks—a “political jamboree,” noting the president didn’t visit the actual site of the killings and that children were made to line up for a reception instead.
Obi compared the scale and population of Nigerian cities to Saint Lucia to highlight the contrast in priorities.
“Makurdi is 59% larger than Saint Lucia, and Minna is ten times its size. Saint Lucia’s population is less than half that of Makurdi and a third of Minna’s.”
In closing, Obi emphasized the need for empathetic, focused leadership in times of crisis.
“The current situation in Nigeria does not call for leisure by anyone in authority—least of all the President,” he said. “This administration continues to show insensitivity and a lack of urgency. While the poor multiply, the government seems more concerned with 2027 elections and elite comfort.”
