Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has questioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s continued absence from Nigeria and his decision not to personally attend the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Obi raised the issue in a post on X after praising Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama for his address at the UN gathering.
He contrasted Mahama’s participation with Tinubu’s absence, asking why the President of Africa’s most populous country was not physically present at what he described as an important international platform.
“Where is the President of Africa’s most populous nation, a country of more than 200 million people more than Ghana whose leader has been absent from the global stage for three consecutive UNGAs?” Obi asked.
Obi said Nigeria’s President should be representing the country and providing leadership at major international engagements, particularly when the country is facing significant domestic and international challenges.
The former Anambra State governor acknowledged that Vice-President Kashim Shettima attended the UNGA on behalf of the Federal Government but said this did not resolve his concern over Tinubu’s absence.
“Although our Vice President, Kashim Shettima, was present, the question remains: Where is the President?” Obi wrote.
He ended his message by calling on Nigerians to pray for Tinubu’s return and for his leadership in addressing the challenges confronting the country.
“Let us continue to pray for his return and for his leadership in addressing the many challenges confronting the nation,” Obi said.
The Presidency has said Tinubu is on a working vacation and has continued to direct government affairs while abroad.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said Tinubu was “hale and hearty” and argued that the President did not need to be physically present in Abuja to carry out his responsibilities in the digital age.
The Federal Government also defended the decision to send Shettima to the UNGA, saying the Vice-President was mandated to lead Nigeria’s delegation and deliver the country's national statement.
The government maintained that Nigeria was therefore fully represented at the global gathering.
Tinubu left Nigeria on August 30 for what the Presidency initially described as a three-week working vacation in Europe. The Presidency later announced that his stay had been extended by a few days.
He is now expected to return to Nigeria on Tuesday, September 29, with reports indicating that he will arrive in Lagos and participate in activities surrounding Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary on October 1.
Shettima has since returned to Nigeria after leading the country's delegation to the UNGA.
Obi’s comments come amid growing political debate over Tinubu’s prolonged absence, his non-attendance at the UNGA and the role of the Vice-President in representing Nigeria at major international engagements. The Presidency and opposition figures have offered differing interpretations of the significance of the President’s absence.
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