Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has criticized President Bola Tinubu over what he described as the president’s prolonged silence and continued absence from the country amid Nigeria’s growing economic and security challenges.
In a statement shared on his official X handle on Monday, Obi questioned the whereabouts of the President, noting that Nigerians have not heard directly from him since December 2025, despite deepening poverty, rising insecurity, and worsening economic hardship.
Obi warned that Nigeria is projected to have about 140 million people living in extreme poverty by the end of the year, placing the country at the top of the global list of nations with the highest number of extremely poor people.
He also drew attention to increasing hunger, deteriorating security, high youth unemployment, and alarming infant mortality rates across the country.
According to Obi, President Tinubu reportedly spent about 196 days outside Nigeria in 2023, a period he said exceeded the time the President spent within the country, even as the nation faced what he described as a national emergency.
The former Anambra State governor further criticized the president for failing to address Nigerians during the New Year, describing the silence as a neglect of leadership responsibility at a critical time.
“Where is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?” Obi asked, adding that the question was a demand for accountability in the face of widespread hardship.
He said Nigerians were left without reassurance or guidance during the New Year, alleging that the President chose to spend the period on holiday in Europe while the country grappled with hunger, anxiety, and uncertainty.
