The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has criticised President Bola Tinubu over his alleged failure to personally reach out to Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, more than 50 days after the abduction of pupils and teachers in Ogbomoso, describing the development as “outrageous.”
Obi said the President’s silence over the incident reflected a disturbing lack of leadership, compassion and urgency in addressing the country’s worsening security crisis.
The former Anambra State governor made the remarks in a statement issued on Monday after visiting Makinde in Ibadan alongside renowned economist and political activist, Prof. Pat Utomi.
According to Obi, he travelled to Oyo State to sympathise with the governor and families affected by the mass abduction, only to discover during their discussions that Tinubu had not placed a single call to Makinde since the incident occurred over seven weeks ago.
Obi said he was stunned by the revelation, noting that previous Nigerian presidents demonstrated greater concern by maintaining direct communication with state governors whenever major security emergencies occurred.
He recalled that during his tenure as governor of Anambra State, former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, and Goodluck Jonathan regularly contacted governors whenever security challenges arose.
“During our two-hour meeting, I shared my experience in addressing insecurity as Governor of Anambra State. I recalled how President Olusegun Obasanjo, and later Presidents Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan, would personally call us several times whenever we faced major security challenges.
“But, to my utmost shock, I discovered that Governor Seyi Makinde had not received a single call from President Bola Tinubu,” Obi stated.
The opposition leader drew a comparison with the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction, recalling that Tinubu was among the fiercest critics of former President Jonathan, accusing him at the time of failing to respond swiftly to the tragedy.
Obi argued that Tinubu’s current disposition contradicted the position he championed while in opposition.
“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.
“Today, under President Tinubu, there have been more than 13 school kidnappings, yet the President has found it difficult to call the affected state’s chief executive after more than 50 days. This is outrageous,” he said.
Obi lamented that the continued captivity of schoolchildren and other Nigerians underscored what he described as the collapse of governance under the present administration.
According to him, the inability of the government to decisively tackle insecurity has left many citizens feeling abandoned and vulnerable.
“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. The situation reflects a total lack of capacity and compassion, compounded by glaring insensitivity,” he added.
Obi further challenged the President to either provide the leadership needed to confront the nation’s security challenges or step aside.
“Amid such an apparent display of incompetence, the President should either resign or, at the very least, abstain from seeking re-election for the sake of our dear country. This call is patriotic, not political,” he said.
The Presidency had yet to respond to Obi’s allegations as of the time of filing this report.
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