Presidential candidate Peter Obi has criticized the administration of President Bola Tinubu, describing the country's worsening insecurity as evidence of a deepening leadership crisis.
In a statement, Obi argued that the consequences of what he termed "uncompassionate leadership" are becoming increasingly evident, warning that citizens' frustrations are turning into widespread resentment due to the government's handling of security challenges.
Referring to the abduction of schoolchildren in Oyo State, Obi said that more than 50 days had passed without what he described as any tangible progress toward rescuing the victims, adding that the people of the state have every reason to feel abandoned.
According to Obi, he had publicly appealed to the kidnappers to release the children and had also spoken twice with Governor Seyi Makinde to express solidarity, stressing that the incident represents a national tragedy rather than a state issue.
Obi disclosed that on July 3, he visited Ibadan alongside Pat Utomi to meet with Governor Makinde and discuss the security situation. During the meeting, he said he shared his experiences managing insecurity while serving as governor of Anambra State.
He recalled that during his tenure, former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, and Goodluck Jonathan would personally contact governors whenever major security incidents occurred.
Obi said he was surprised to learn from Governor Makinde that he had allegedly not received a telephone call from President Tinubu regarding the kidnapping, despite the passage of more than seven weeks.
Drawing comparisons with the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping, Obi noted that although former President Jonathan faced widespread criticism over the timing of his response, there were regular security briefings and significant national and international attention on the incident.
He further argued that Tinubu, who was among critics of Jonathan's handling of the Chibok abduction, should now be held to the same standard. Obi claimed that more than 13 school kidnapping incidents have occurred under the current administration and described the President's alleged lack of direct engagement with affected state governors as unacceptable.
The former presidential candidate concluded that the situation reflects what he described as a collapse of governance, citing what he called a lack of capacity, compassion, and sensitivity in addressing insecurity.
Obi further stated that, in his view, President Tinubu should either resign or refrain from seeking re-election, describing his position as "patriotic, not political."
As of the time of filing this report, the Presidency had not publicly responded to Obi's latest remarks.
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