The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, has expressed disappointment over President Bola Tinubu’s silence in the face of the challenges grappling the country.
Obi described the situation as a critical demand for accountability in a national emergency, noting that by the end of this year, Nigeria will be home to approximately 140 million people living in extreme poverty — the highest number in the world.
He made the remarks in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, January 12, 2026.
“We are grappling with one of the hungriest populations globally, staggering insecurity, an unemployment rate exceeding 80 million among our youth, and one of the worst places to be born, with infant mortality rates worse than those of a nation seven times our size. In the midst of this chaos, where has our President been? Spending 196 days abroad in 2025 alone—more than he has spent within his own country, at a time when we face profound crises.
“Since December 2025, Nigerians have not heard a word from their President. Reports indicate he opted for a holiday in Europe while the nation was plunged into a New Year marked by hunger, anxiety, and uncertainty. There was no New Year address, no national broadcast, no leadership voice to provide reassurance or guidance,” he stated.
Obi noted that the lack of presidential presence starkly contrasts with what is seen in comparable developing nations, where leaders step up in times of crisis.
“In Nigeria, following U.S. military strikes on our soil, our President remained silent,” he decried. “Instead of directly addressing the nation, Nigerians learned about these critical events from foreign media, American officials, and the vague communications from the Presidency’s aides known for their propaganda, rather than from their own leader.”
This, he said, is not governance but neglect, adding that the President was nowhere to be found when he was needed the most, choosing instead to attend a submit abroad.
He continued: “Earlier this year, he even sent an AI-generated image to the nation instead of addressing his people face-to-face. Are we to believe Nigeria is being governed, or is it merely being managed from elsewhere? Leadership is not simply issuing press releases; it’s about standing before the people, engaging with them, and offering clarity.
“We are not asking for perfection; we demand presence. Nigerians are eager to hear from their President through direct media briefings. They deserve to understand the state of their country. You cannot run Nigeria like a personal business or a private club; it is imperative to rebuild and grow our economy through unity and clarity.”
Obi further argued that progress is impossible without unity and consensus, and that such progress begins with strong leadership that sets the tone.
He emphasised that no policy, reform, economic plan, or security measure can thrive in a divided nation, asserting that when leadership withdraws, unity falters, and the fabric of society unravels under the weight of mistrust and division.
“In a time of crisis, the absence of leadership is not just troubling; it is perilous. Silence in the face of crisis is the loudest form of failure,” he added.
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