Has Tinubu Never Slept in Other State Apart from Lagos as Claimed By Peter Obi? Here is What We Know

• Peter Obi accused President Tinubu of never spending a night outside Lagos, criticising his planned eight-day visit to Saint Lucia amid domestic crises
• The presidency defended the trip, calling it part of a strategic foreign policy agenda and dismissed Obi’s comments as politically motivated
• Fact checks showed that Tinubu has stayed overnight in Katsina and resides in Abuja, suggesting Obi’s claim is false and misleading

The war of words between former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and the Presidency has taken a new turn.

This time, it is over claims about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s domestic travel record.

The row began after Tinubu embarked on an official visit to Saint Lucia, a Caribbean nation, where he is expected to spend eight days.

Obi, speaking during a Sunday night X Space session with his supporters, questioned the relevance and the timing of the trip.

“In two years, Tinubu has not spent one night in any state in Nigeria apart from Lagos, yet he is going to spend eight nights in St Lucia, a place smaller than Ajegunle,” Obi alleged.

The former governor of Anambra state also cited the recent flood disaster in Niger State as an example of why the president should prioritise domestic affairs over what he termed a “leisure trip.”

Presidency hits back, defends foreign policy agenda

In response, presidential spokesmen Bayo Onanuga and Fredrick Nwabufo dismissed Obi’s comments as misleading and politically charged.

Onanuga defended the Saint Lucia visit as part of Nigeria’s foreign policy strategy rooted in the “Four D’s”, Democracy, Development, Diaspora, and Demography.

Nwabufo, for his part, described Obi’s remarks as “lamentations vacant of substance.”

Despite these counterclaims, Obi doubled down, insisting Tinubu’s absence from states experiencing hardship is emblematic of a disconnect between leadership and the people, Daily Trust reported.

Fact check says otherwise about Tinubu's itinerary

A detailed look into President Tinubu’s travel records tells a different story. In May 2025, Tinubu paid a two-day working visit to Katsina state, between May 4 and 6, where he met with security personnel and inspected military operations. The nature and length of the engagements suggest an overnight stay.

Moreover, President Tinubu resides in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, where Aso Rock Villa serves as both his workplace and official residence.

Excluding Abuja from the conversation omits a crucial part of presidential governance, as Abuja is not only symbolic but also constitutionally the president’s primary place of duty.

Other state visits, but overnight stays unclear

Tinubu has also visited several states, including Anambra, Benue, and Ondo, for one-day events and ceremonial functions.

However, there is limited public record confirming overnight stays in these cases. Still, the confirmed visit to Katsina and routine presence in Abuja are enough to disprove the claim.

Obi wrong over claims on Tinubu's movements

Contrary to Peter Obi’s assertion, President Tinubu has indeed spent nights outside Lagos.

His stay in Katsina, combined with his regular presence in Abuja, clearly invalidates the statement that he has never spent a night in another Nigerian state.

The claim is false. Evidence shows that President Tinubu has stayed overnight in at least one other state, and routinely resides in Abuja.

Tinubu's aide meets Peter Obi in Lagos

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Bayo Onanuga, one of the presidential spokespersons, met Peter Obi. Onanuga shared photographs from their meeting via his verified X handle.

Both men met at the 90th birthday celebration of veteran journalist and publisher of Vanguard Newspaper, Sam Amuka-Pemu, in Lagos state.

Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng