Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has criticised President Bola Tinubu over the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, claiming the President has not contacted Governor Seyi Makinde more than 50 days after the incident.
In a lengthy statement shared on X, Obi described the situation as evidence of a worsening leadership crisis, accusing the Federal Government of showing a lack of compassion and urgency in responding to the kidnapping.
According to Obi, 37 pupils and teachers abducted from a school in Ogbomoso remain in captivity more than 50 days after the attack.
The former Anambra State governor disclosed that he travelled to Ibadan on Friday, July 3, alongside Prof. Pat Utomi to visit Governor Makinde and express solidarity with the Oyo State government.
Obi said he had previously spoken publicly about the kidnapping on two occasions, including making a direct appeal to the abductors to release the victims. He also revealed that he called Governor Makinde twice to assure him of his support.
During his visit, Obi said he was surprised to learn that President Tinubu had allegedly not reached out to the Oyo governor since the abduction occurred.
“But, to my utmost shock, 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.”
Drawing comparisons with previous administrations, Obi recalled that former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan personally contacted state governors whenever major security incidents occurred.
He also referenced the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction, noting that Tinubu was among those who criticised Jonathan for delaying his call to the Borno State governor at the time.
“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 (over 7 weeks). This is outrageous.”
Obi further argued that governance had failed under the current administration and called on the President to step aside if he could no longer effectively lead the country.
“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. A new Nigeria is POssible.”
The statement has since generated widespread reactions on social media, with Nigerians expressing differing views on Obi’s comments and the Federal Government’s handling of insecurity.
Reactions
@kufekpo:
“How exactly do you expect Tinubu to call Makinde when he’s not an APC member? To him, being the national leader of the APC seems to come before being the President of Nigeria. Every major decision appears to pass through the ‘APC first’ filter before the country is considered.”
@onotode:
“When kids are kidnapped, leadership shouldn’t be. This isn’t governance, it’s abandonment of duty. This government is only active when it comes to looting the treasury.”
@elnewsandsports:
“Please start making videos conveying messages like this, this message can be summarized in a one minute video. That way it can be easily shared across platforms, very few people read all of this, you can go further by also having different languages of the said video.”
@ObodoPaul21948:
“Omo every day I registered coming from Nigeria 🤦💔 after all the struggle you can’t even afford good living 😭💔 do I still breath ??”
@DavymartinCE0:
“Incompetent people should resign. Less than 2yr old kids in the hands of kidnappers for more than 50yrs. This is evil.”
@Ugochukwu210:
“I wonder if Tinubu even has Nigerians at heart🤦♂️.”
@BashiruAkanbi2:
“People think they know how, there’s a difference between someone who knows but don’t want to, and one that don’t know anything at all and is credited with benefits of doubts that he knows. The later is the case.”
@OmasholaSagay:
“No serious minded individual will ever pay attention to your shenanigans.”
