The Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has called on President Bola Tinubu to patronize Nigeria’s healthcare facilities instead of traveling abroad for medical needs. Obi argued that such an action would restore public confidence in the nation’s health institutions and curb the country’s growing medical tourism problem.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, urged Tinubu to lead by example. “It is time for you to visit our national hospitals. Conduct your next medical examination at the National Hospital in Abuja or any Federal Medical Centre in places like Sokoto, Calabar, or Akure. This will help you assess the state of our healthcare facilities and take informed steps to improve them,” Obi said.
He further criticized the administration’s extensive international travel, revealing that President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima have spent over 180 days abroad across 42 trips since assuming office, with Tinubu alone accounting for 124 days. Obi suggested that the President should also travel by road within Nigeria to experience the nation’s infrastructure firsthand.
Citing his own tenure as governor, Obi recalled a trip he took with former President Olusegun Obasanjo along a federal highway in Anambra State. The visit, he said, prompted immediate action on the road’s reconstruction.
On political matters, Obi dismissed rumors of a potential merger with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), emphasizing his focus on rallying all pro-democracy forces to unseat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
Reacting, APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, accused Obi of hypocrisy and “political doomsaying.” He defended Tinubu’s administration, citing economic recovery and reform efforts under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“It is ironic that Obi, who left no transformational legacy during his eight years as governor, now positions himself as an authority on national issues. President Tinubu’s visionary reforms are steadily restoring Nigeria’s fortunes, and Nigerians should remain optimistic about better days ahead,” Morka said.
