Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of abandoning Nigeria at a time of what he described as historic national distress, alleging that the country is being governed remotely while the president remains abroad.
Obi’s criticism followed records indicating that President Tinubu spent 196 out of 365 days outside Nigeria in 2025, a period he said coincided with worsening poverty, hunger, insecurity, and mass unemployment across the country.
According to Obi, Tinubu’s prolonged absence, including a European holiday since December without delivering a New Year’s address to the nation, reflects a collapse of leadership and a growing disconnect between the presidency and the Nigerian people.
He warned that “a nation of over 200 million people cannot be governed by press releases and aides while its president is missing in action,” insisting that direct leadership and visibility are critical at a time of national emergency.