Former Labour Party presidential candidate, , has strongly criticised the administration of President over the country’s worsening security situation, calling on the President to either resign or refrain from seeking re-election.
In a statement titled “Worsening Leadership Crisis in the Country Now Evident,” Obi said the increasing wave of insecurity and prolonged captivity of kidnapped schoolchildren reflect a collapse of governance and a lack of compassionate leadership.
According to Obi, the government and people of have every reason to feel abandoned following the abduction of schoolchildren, who, he said, had remained in captivity for more than 50 days without any tangible progress toward their rescue.
The former Anambra State governor disclosed that he had publicly spoken about the incident on two occasions and appealed directly to the kidnappers to release the children. He also revealed that he had contacted Governor twice to express solidarity, describing the incident as a national tragedy rather than an Oyo State problem.
Obi further stated that on July 3, he visited Ibadan alongside to meet with Governor Makinde and discuss the worsening security situation. During the meeting, he said he shared his experiences in tackling insecurity while serving as governor of Anambra State.
He recalled that former Presidents , , and would personally reach out to governors during major security crises.
Obi said he was surprised to learn from Governor Makinde that President Tinubu had allegedly not called him regarding the kidnapping despite the children having remained in captivity for more than 50 days.
Drawing comparisons with the , Obi noted that former President Jonathan faced widespread criticism for delaying contact with the Borno State governor at the time. He argued that President Tinubu, who was among Jonathan’s critics then, should now be held to the same standard.
According to Obi, there have been more than 13 school kidnapping incidents under the current administration, yet the President has allegedly failed to personally reach out to the affected state’s chief executive in the latest case.
Describing the situation as evidence of failed governance, Obi said the administration has demonstrated a lack of capacity, compassion, and sensitivity to the plight of Nigerians.
He concluded by urging President Tinubu to either resign or, at the very least, not seek a second term in office, insisting that his position was driven by patriotism rather than politics.
As of the time of filing this report, the Presidency had not issued an official response to Obi’s remarks.
