“This Isn’t Time for Holidaying,” Peter Obi Slams Tinubu’s Saint Lucia Trip Amidst National Crises

The Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the last general election, Peter Obi, has vehemently criticized President Bola Tinubu’s ongoing trip to Saint Lucia, labelling it as ill-timed and insensitive to the grave challenges facing Nigerians. Obi’s strong condemnation came via a statement titled “No, Mr. President, this is not the Time for Holidaying,” posted on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday.

President Tinubu departed Abuja on Saturday, June 28, 2025, for a two-nation tour that includes a state visit to Saint Lucia and participation in the 17th BRICS Summit in Brazil. While the Presidency, through Special Adviser Bayo Onanuga, described the Saint Lucia visit as an effort to deepen Nigeria’s engagement with Caribbean nations and strengthen South-South cooperation, official reports from Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister, Philip J. Pierre, indicated that of the several days of the visit, only June 30 and July 1 are allocated for official activities, with the remainder set aside for a “personal vacation” for the President.

Obi expressed profound shock and bewilderment at the President’s decision to embark on what he termed a “leisure trip” at a time when Nigeria is grappling with myriad problems. He highlighted the escalating insecurity, economic hardship, and widespread hunger across the nation.

“In the past two years, Nigeria has lost more people to all sorts of criminality than a country that is officially at war,” Obi lamented. “Without any twilight, Nigeria ranks among the most insecure places in the world. Nigerians are hungrier, and most people do not know where their next meal will come from.”

The former Anambra State governor questioned the President’s priorities, particularly after what he described as a recent holiday in Lagos. He contrasted Tinubu’s Caribbean trip with his apparent failure to visit disaster-stricken areas like Minna, Niger State, where hundreds of lives were lost and many more are missing due to recent floods. Obi also criticized the President’s visit to Makurdi, Benue State, describing it as a “political jamboree” rather than a genuine condolence visit to a state grappling with widespread killings.

“I don’t think the situation in this country today calls for leisure for anybody in a position of authority, more so the President, on whose desk the buck stops,” Obi asserted. He accused the current administration of repeatedly demonstrating insensitivity and a lack of passion for the populace, prioritizing the wealthy while the poor multiply in number.

Obi concluded his fiery message by urging a redirection of focus, stressing that the country’s resources belong to all, not just a few. He called for an immediate halt to the current “drift” and a concentrated effort on pulling Nigerians out of poverty.

The Presidency has since responded to Obi’s criticism with a brief travelogue, defending President Tinubu’s visit as an official trip aimed at strengthening diplomatic ties between Nigeria and Caribbean countries.