What is private for a sitting president – Obi

Oluwasegun SanusiJanuary 25, 20241 Mins read1.1k

The Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticised President Tinubu’s ‘private trip’ amidst the dysfunctional state of the Abuja airport.

Obi made this known in a post on his X handle. He express dismay at what he witnessed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe airport yesterday.

He recounted a “heart-wrenching” moment where four men were lifting a physically challenged traveller in a wheelchair up the stairs due to the non-functioning elevator and escalator, a problem that had lingered for three months.

“The situation becomes more disturbing when you imagine that such is happening in our nation’s capital, where our dignitaries and foreign investors travel through constantly,” Obi lamented.

Obi was dismayed that the incident at the airport was happeneing on the same day with Tinubu’s undisclosed private trip.

“I have been wondering what is private for a sitting President who is not on vacation to embark on a publicly funded ‘private’ visit.

“Private visits, like the one he has embarked on now, should be done at his expense and not at public cost,” Obi asserted, stressing the urgency of redirecting resources towards addressing critical issues such as infrastructure maintenance.

However, Obi acknowledged some efforts by President Tinubu in cutting costs, citing a recent 60% reduction in travel expenses but deemed such measures insignificant in the face of monumental challenges like the dysfunctional infrastructure at the Nnamdi Azikiwe airport.