Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has raised concerns over President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s prolonged absence from Nigeria during critical national challenges.
Obi made the remarks in a post on X, highlighting that the President spent 196 days abroad in 2025 alone.
His comments come amid rising public concerns over worsening poverty, insecurity, and unemployment across the country.
What he said
Peter Obi criticized President Tinubu for being largely absent since December 2025, even as the country faces extreme poverty, high youth unemployment, food insecurity, and worsening infant mortality, without communicating with Nigerians.
“In the midst of this chaos, where has our President been? Spending 196 days abroad in 2025 alone more than he has spent within his own country, at a time when we face profound crises.
“Since December 2025, Nigerians have not heard a word from their President. Reports indicate he opted for a holiday in Europe while the nation was plunged into a New Year marked by hunger, anxiety, and uncertainty,” he said
He expressed concern that Nigerian citizens are left without guidance or reassurance, saying that the nation deserve understand the state of their country especially in times of national crisis.
He said that the President cannot treat the nation as a private enterprise and must show up to help rebuild the country through unity and clarity.
More details
Obi also criticized the President for leaving Nigerians to learn about major security events from foreign media and vague statements by aides, saying true leadership requires direct engagement with the people.
“In Nigeria, following U.S. military strikes on our soil, our President remained silent. Instead of directly addressing the nation, Nigerians learned about these critical events from foreign media, American officials, and the vague communications from the Presidency’s aides known for their propaganda, rather than from their own leader.
“This is not governance; it’s neglect. The President was seen abroad yet again for another summit while remaining absent from his own country when he is needed the most. Earlier this year, he even sent an AI-generated image to the nation instead of addressing his people face-to-face,” he said.
Obi emphasized that Nigerians are not asking for perfection but expect the President to be present and communicate directly with the people.
He warned that the absence of strong, visible leadership undermines national unity and makes it harder to implement policies, reforms, or economic plans effectively.
What you should know
Nigeria has continued to face widespread insecurity that has affected schools, communities and places of worship, fueling national concern over safety and the protection of citizens.
In late 2025, armed groups carried out some of the country’s largest school kidnappings in years, including the abduction of more than 300 children and a dozen teachers from a Catholic boarding school in Niger State, one of the worst mass kidnappings since the Chibok girls incident, with many of the students freed after weeks of uncertainty.
- Earlier abductions also hit a secondary school in Kebbi State when gunmen stormed the dormitories, killing the vice principal and taking more than two dozen girls, prompting wide security operations in the region.
- Churches and worshippers have not been spared, with armed attackers targeting services in central Nigeria, killing worshippers and abducting pastors and congregants in disturbing raids.
- Nairametrics reported that Nigeria’s kidnap-for-ransom crisis generated at least N2.57 billion for criminal groups between July 2024 and June 2025 with Kidnappers demanding an estimate N48 billion over the year.
