By Palang Paul
Peter Obi has called on President Bola Tinubu to resign or abandon any re-election bid, accusing his administration of failing to protect Nigerians and displaying a lack of compassion over the prolonged captivity of abducted schoolchildren.
Obi made the remarks in a statement issued after he and economist Prof. Pat Utomi visited Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde in Ibadan on Friday, where they expressed solidarity with the state government over the abduction of schoolchildren who, he said, had remained in captivity for more than 50 days.
The former Anambra State governor said he was shocked to learn during the meeting that President Tinubu had not personally contacted Governor Makinde since the abduction, describing the development as evidence of worsening leadership and a collapse of governance.
Obi said that while serving as governor, former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan regularly communicated with state governors whenever major security crises occurred, offering support and receiving updates on efforts to restore peace.
Drawing a comparison with the 2014 abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls, Obi recalled that Tinubu was among those who sharply criticised then-President Jonathan for delaying his response to the incident, including calling for his resignation.
According to Obi, Nigeria has witnessed more than a dozen school kidnappings under the Tinubu administration, yet the President has failed to demonstrate the urgency, empathy and leadership required to confront the crisis.
“I cannot imagine any issue more important than the lives of our kidnapped children, their teachers and the many other Nigerians being held captive across the country,” Obi said.
He argued that the continued insecurity reflected what he described as a total collapse of governance, citing what he called a lack of capacity, compassion and sensitivity by the federal government.
Obi maintained that his call for the President to resign or refrain from seeking another term was motivated by patriotism rather than politics, insisting that Nigeria deserved leadership capable of protecting lives and restoring public confidence.
The Presidency had not immediately responded to Obi’s remarks at the time of filing this report.
Post Comment