Vacation: Obi Faults Tinubu, Says N37.64Bn Spent On Presidential Travel In Three Years
By Sunday Etuka
Former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi has criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his latest foreign trip, describing it as another vacation abroad at a time when Nigerians are grappling with insecurity and economic hardship.
In a statement on Monday, Obi said the president had begun a three week vacation in Europe even as the country continues to battle deep crisis, with citizens struggling to afford food and transportation while insecurity disrupts communities and keeps thousands of children out of school.
He referenced the reported abduction of about 600 people, mostly women, children and the elderly, during Friday prayers in Niger State days earlier, questioning the timing of the president’s departure against that backdrop.
Citing government figures, Obi said presidential trips and related travel expenses gulped about N37.64 billion between June 2023 and April 2026, with Tinubu spending approximately 261 days outside the country during that period.
He contrasted this with a claim that the Federal Ministry of Health received only N36 million in 2025 despite a capital allocation of N218 billion.
“A government that can spend tens of billions on presidential travel while critical sectors remain starved of funds, and Nigerians are asked to endure worsening hardship, must not be allowed to continue,” Obi said, adding that leadership was fundamentally about setting the right priorities.
He said he looked forward to a Nigeria where the president holidayed within the country, in states such as Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Cross River, Bauchi and Ebonyi, arguing that the president should serve as the country’s chief promoter of domestic tourism.
Obi, who is the 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) said boosting local travel could unlock significant economic benefits, supporting jobs in hospitality, transportation, agriculture, entertainment and small businesses while drawing investment and foreign exchange into the country.
He tied his remarks to his political partnership with former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, saying it represented the kind of leadership that would put Nigeria first.
