The Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has voiced strong opposition to President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to Saint Lucia, condemning the trip as “ill-timed and insensitive” given Nigeria’s escalating crises across the nation..

On Friday, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced that the President would undertake a state visit to the Caribbean nation on Saturday. The purpose, he explained, was to strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic ties with the region and boost South-South cooperation. Following this visit,

However, Obi sharply criticised the trip in a statement titled “No, Mr President, This is Not the Time for Holidaying.” He described it as disconnected from the harsh realities facing Nigerians today.

“I find it hard to believe that someone in a position of authority—especially the President, whose responsibility it is—would consider a leisure trip at such a critical time,” Obi remarked.

He raised concerns about how the President could leave Nigeria for what Obi called a “holiday,” despite the nation grappling with widespread hunger, insecurity, and the devastating aftermath of recent natural disasters.

“In the past two years, Nigeria has lost more lives to criminality than a country officially at war,” Obi stated. “Our country now ranks among the most insecure in the world. Ordinary Nigerians are hungrier than ever, uncertain about where their next meal will come from.”

Obi criticised the decision to publicise the trip amid the nation’s deepening socioeconomic struggles, pointing out that it was insensitive to the plight of ordinary citizens. He also expressed disappointment over the President’s failure to visit disaster-affected communities, like Minna in Niger State, where floods have reportedly claimed over 200 lives and displaced many families.

He further condemned what he called a “political jamboree” in Benue State, arguing that the visit appeared more like a political stunt than a genuine gesture of condolence or support.

“What I have seen in the last two years leaves me in shock at the poor level of governance and the apparent focus on politics and elite satisfaction, while the masses continue to suffer and struggle,” Obi lamented.

This critique adds to the mounting public concern over the priorities of the Tinubu administration, especially when many Nigerians are suffering from extreme hardship while the government prioritises foreign trips and diplomatic engagements.