Peter Obi, the former Governor of Anambra State and Labour Party‘s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, don dey criticize President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima for their foreign trips at a time when Nigeria dey face severe economic hardship.
Obi talk say the trips no make sense, especially when the country dey grapple with domestic challenges. Him point out that Tinubu travel to Paris, France, and later to another engagement, while Shettima travel to Sweden for bilateral talks. Obi question why Tinubu no attend the Sweden meeting himself, since him already dey Paris, which be closer to Stockholm than Abuja.
Obi also talk about the economic suffering of Nigerians, saying that the administration’s policies have caused untold hardship. Him emphasize that the President and Vice President should be in the country to address these issues, rather than being abroad. “One would have expected the President to return earlier, considering the volume of work that needs urgent attention in a troubled nation like ours,” Obi say.
Other critics, including civil society organizations (CSOs), also join to condemn the government’s policies and the trips. Debo Adeniran, Chairman of the Centre for Accountability and Open Leadership, describe the government’s policies as elitist and criticize the influence of the World Bank on Tinubu’s decisions. Adeniran call for a cabinet reshuffle and reduction in governance costs to reflect the civil service standards.
The opposition parties also fault the president for not reshuffling his cabinet as promised and for traveling at a time when the country is facing severe challenges, including a recent tanker explosion in Jigawa State that claimed 153 lives. National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh, say that the president’s absence leave Nigeria on autopilot and that someone should be answering queries by now.
