Presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has criticised President Bola Tinubu over his handling of school abductions and the worsening insecurity across the country, calling on him to either resign or refrain from seeking re-election.
Obi made the remarks in a statement on X, following a visit to Ibadan, where he met with Seyi Makinde over the abduction of schoolchildren in Oyo State, whom he said had remained in captivity for more than 50 days.
Describing the incident as a “Nigerian tragedy,” Obi said the continued captivity of the pupils reflected a failure of leadership and compassion by the federal government.
“The ultimate cost of uncompassionate leadership, as evident in the country today, is turning citizens’ frustration into deep, volatile resentment.
“It is even more traumatising when the leader presiding over that collapse demonstrates clear incapacity and a lack of compassion,” he said.
The former governor of Anambra State disclosed that he had earlier appealed publicly to the abductors to release the children and had also spoken twice with Governor Makinde to express solidarity, stressing that insecurity should concern all Nigerians irrespective of political affiliation.
Obi said he travelled to Ibadan on July 3 with Pat Utomi to commiserate with the governor after more than 50 days had elapsed without the children’s rescue.
According to him, the two-hour meeting revealed that President Tinubu had not personally contacted Makinde over the incident.
“I discovered that, contrary to my assumption that they had been in regular communication over the matter, Governor Seyi Makinde had not received a single call from President Bola Tinubu,” Obi said.
Drawing a comparison with the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Obi recalled that Tinubu had been among those who criticised Jonathan for taking more than two weeks to contact the governor of the affected state.
“I vividly recall that the current President, Bola Tinubu, led a team of vocal critics who called for President Jonathan’s immediate resignation over the incident, citing his delay in calling the state governor. That call for immediate resignation should actually be the case in this matter,” he said.
Obi further alleged that there had been more than 13 school kidnappings since Tinubu assumed office, saying the president had failed to demonstrate sufficient concern for victims and their families.
“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. It is now an indisputable fact that governance has completely collapsed under this administration.”
Sunday Ehigiator
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