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Peter Obi Condemns Tinubu’s Saint Lucia Trip As ‘Ill-timed and Insensitive’
Former presidential candidate and Labour Party leader, Mr. Peter Obi, has condemned President Bola Tinubu’s trip to Saint Lucia, calling it an ill-timed and insensitive decision in the face of deepening national crises.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, Obi said he was “struggling with my senses to understand what is happening to governance in this country.”
Tinubu departed Nigeria on Saturday, and is expected to visit Saint Lucia, attend BRICS summit in Brazil.
“What I have seen and witnessed in the last two years has left me in shock about poor governance delivery and apparent channelling of energy into politics and satisfaction of the elites, while the masses in our midst are languishing in want,” Obi declared.
“Without any twilight, Nigeria ranks among the most insecure places in the world. Nigerians are hungrier, and most people do not know where their next meal will come from.”
Obi expressed disbelief upon learning of the President’s departure to the Caribbean nation, especially coming shortly after what he described as a holiday in Lagos.
It read, “With such a gory picture of one’s country, you can imagine my bewilderment when I saw a news release from the Presidency announcing that President Bola Tinubu is departing Nigeria today for a visit to Saint Lucia in the Caribbean.”
Citing a press briefing by Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister, Philip J. Pierre, Obi noted that the visit included both official engagements and personal vacation.
“According to the Prime Minister’s announcement, ‘two of these days, June 30 and July 1, will be dedicated to an official visit, with the remainder of the trip set aside as a personal vacation,” he said.
Obi said he had initially dismissed the report as unbelievable: “I told the person who drew my attention to the Caribbean story that it cannot be true and that the President is just coming back from a holiday in Lagos.
“I didn’t want to believe that anybody in the position of authority, more so the President… would contemplate a leisure trip at this time.”
The former Anambra governor criticized the President’s failure to personally visit disaster-affected areas, including Minna in Niger State, where over 200 people were reportedly killed and 700 still missing due to flooding.
“This is a President going for leisure when he couldn’t visit Minna, Niger State where over two hundred lives were lost and over 700 persons still missing in a flood natural disaster,” Obi lamented.
He also condemned Tinubu’s recent visit to Makurdi, which he described as politicized.
Obi said, “The other state in crisis where over two hundred lives were murdered, the President yielded to public pressure and visited Makurdi… for what turned out to be a political jamboree than condolence as public holiday was declared and children made to line up to receive the President who couldn’t even reach the village, the scene of the brutal attack.”
Obi drew sharp comparisons between the size and population of Saint Lucia and the Nigerian cities neglected by the President.
“Makurdi is 937.4 Km², which is over 59% bigger than St Lucia, which is 617 km², and Minna is 6789 square kilometres, which is ten times bigger than St Lucia. St Lucia, with a population of 180,000, is less than half of Makurdi’s 489,839 and Minna, with 532,000 is almost three times the population of St Lucia,” Obi quoted his stats in the post.
Calling for leadership anchored in empathy and urgency, Obi said: “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.
“This regime has repeatedly shown its insensitivity and lack of passion for the populace…”
He accused the administration of prioritizing elites over the masses.
“One had expected the President to be asking God for extra hours in a day for the challenges, but what we see is a concentration of efforts in the 2027 election and on satisfying the wealthy while the mass poor continues to multiply in number,” Obi’s tweet further read.
Concluding his fiery message, Obi urged national reflection and redirection.
He concluded, “Finally, I like to let our leaders know one thing: that the God-given resources of this country belong to all, not to a few.
“The time has come to put a stop to this drift before it consumes all and focus on pulling people out of poverty.”
The Punch
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has commended Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje for resigning as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Ganduje submitted his resignation letter to the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) through its National Secretary, Sen. Ajibola Bashiru, on Friday.
The former Kano State governor cited health reasons for his decision to step down.
Obi, a former governor of Anambra, gave his commendation in a post on his X handle on Friday.
According to him, he read a news report that the APC National Chairman, Ganduje, resigned from his position with immediate effect, citing health challenges as the reason.
“I must commend Dr Ganduje for prioritising his health above all else. With his health reportedly in decline, it is both wise and honourable to step aside, knowing that he may no longer be able to render the level of service required by the party, the people, and the nation.
“By this exemplary action, Dr. Ganduje has thrown a challenge to other leaders who, due to health-related issues, are no longer able to deliver optimally. I sincerely hope they take a cue from him,” he posted.
According to Obi, the challenges confronting Nigeria today require leaders who are not only competent but also physically and mentally fit, leaders with the capacity and agility to respond decisively and promptly to pressing issues.”
“I have just read a news report that the National Chairman of the ruling party, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has resigned from his position with immediate effect, citing health challenges as the reason,” he wrote.
Obi added that at this point in Nigeria’s history, the country could no longer afford leadership defined by medical tourism, long holidays, or absenteeism caused by age-related ailments.
President Bola Tinubu has reportedly reached a fresh agreement to re-instate Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, but only if he agrees not to seek re-election after his first term in office.
“The president made it clear that Rivers cannot afford a prolonged crisis. The deal is about restoring calm, but it comes at a steep cost for Fubara,” another source explained.
Those present included Tinubu, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, suspended House Speaker Martin Amaewhule, Governor Fubara, and some lawmakers involved in the political crisis in Rivers.
In addition, Fubara has agreed to pay all outstanding allowances and entitlements owed to the 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike, who were earlier suspended by the state assembly. In exchange, the lawmakers will refrain from pursuing any impeachment proceedings against him.
“Wike is the real winner here. By controlling the local government chairmen, he retains significant influence over the state’s political machinery, which will be crucial for 2027,” a source added.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), surprise, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has resigned from his position, effective immediately.
Mr Ganduje, a two-terms former Governor of Kano State, cited health reasons for his decision, stating that he needs to focus on his well-being.
While Mr Ganduje’s resignation letter attributes his decision to health concerns, sources familiar with the matter suggest that political tension within the party may have also played a role in his decision to step down.
Allegations of financial impropriety have also been linked to his resignation, with some party members reportedly protesting “excessive financial demands” imposed by his office.
The APC has yet to issue an official statement on his resignation, leaving many to speculate about the implications of this development for the party.
