• Peter Obi criticizes President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima’s foreign trips as “fiscal irresponsibility”
• Obi argues that the trips demonstrate a lack of fiscal responsibility amidst Nigeria’s economic challenges
• He emphasizes the need for leaders to prioritize Nigeria’s domestic problems, such as poverty and hunger
• The Presidency assures that governance remains uninterrupted despite the leaders’ absence.
The Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has described President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima’s recent foreign trips as “fiscal irresponsibility.” Obi’s criticism comes amidst Nigeria’s economic challenges, which he believes warrant the leaders’ attention.
President Tinubu departed for the United Kingdom on October 2 for a two-week visit and later traveled to France. Meanwhile, Vice President Shettima left Abuja for Sweden on Wednesday for a two-day working visit.
Obi questioned the timing and necessity of these trips, emphasizing the need for leaders to prioritize Nigeria’s domestic problems. “The President had told us he would only be gone for 14 days. The 14 days have passed now, and we are waiting to see him in the country,” Obi stated.
He further criticized the decision to send Shettima to Sweden, suggesting that Tinubu could have easily attended the bilateral talks, saving time and resources. “This does not represent the kind of fiscal responsibility and common sense that is expected of leaders whose people are facing severe hunger and poverty,” Obi said.
The Presidency has maintained that there is no leadership vacuum, citing instances where both leaders were abroad simultaneously without disrupting governance.
