Former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has questioned the whereabouts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu amid what he described as worsening economic hardship, insecurity and leadership silence in Nigeria. In a statement posted on his verified X account on Monday, Obi said his concern was driven by the scale of challenges confronting the country and the perceived absence of direct presidential engagement, describing his question as “a critical demand for accountability in a national emergency.” He stated that Nigeria is approaching a point where about 140 million people are living in extreme poverty, alongside widespread hunger, rising insecurity, high unemployment among young people and alarming infant mortality rates, asking, “In the midst of this chaos, where has our President been?”
Obi further alleged that President Tinubu spent 196 days outside the country in 2025, claiming this exceeded the time he spent within Nigeria during the same period, and added that Nigerians had not heard directly from the President since December 2025.
“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, noting the absence of a New Year address or national broadcast. Criticising what he described as indirect and vague communication from the Presidency, Obi said, “This is not governance; it’s neglect,” stressing that leadership requires visibility, direct engagement and reassurance, especially during crises, and warning that “silence in the face of crisis is the loudest form of failure.”