Peter Obi, a former Anambra governor and the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has berated President Bola Tinubu for spending 23 of the 31 days in January abroad, while insecurity and other national issues fester.

Mr Obi, in a statement on Saturday, said that Mr Tinubu had abandoned crucial national matters while other leaders prioritise their domestic issues.

“While leaders in other nations prioritise domestic governance in January, Nigeria’s president prioritises international engagements over pressing national issues,” Mr Obi said.

He added, “This month, he spent 23 days abroad across two trips—beginning the year overseas and returning on the 17th, and departing less than 10 days on the 26th to Türkiye, where he remains as of January 31.”

The former governor lamented Mr Tinubu’s absence from the country most days in January, adding, “This first month serves as a critical measure of the challenges that lie ahead, and it is painfully evident that the situation in the country continues to worsen.

“Insecurity has surged alarmingly across the nation. In just January, we saw reports of several killings and hundreds of kidnappings and abductions that included children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers, with the abductors demanding millions. Farmers remain unable to return to their farms, plagued by ongoing insecurity, which exacerbates food shortages and rural poverty.”

He added, “The collective impact of these events paints a grim portrait of a nation grappling simultaneously with insecurity, economic distress, failing infrastructure, and profound social upheaval.”

Mr Tinubu’s government has rebuffed criticisms over the president’s frequent travel abroad. It said the president was governing the country from abroad, despite his absence.