By Henry Umoru
ABUJA — Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has called on President Bola Tinubu to resign over what he described as failures in governance or, alternatively, not seek re-election in 2027.
Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, said the President’s handling of national security and governance had adversely affected citizens’ welfare and exposed growing concerns about corruption.
In a statement issued on Monday by his spokesman, Idris Zekeri, Obi argued that recent developments had reinforced the need for Tinubu to step aside, saying the appeal was motivated by national interest rather than politics.
According to the statement, Obi recalled that in 2014, following the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls, then opposition leader Bola Tinubu demanded the resignation of then-President Goodluck Jonathan, accusing him of failing to provide leadership and compassion after taking 19 days to contact the then Governor of Borno State.
Obi said a similar situation had unfolded under the current administration, noting that it had been 52 days since the abduction of 39 schoolchildren and seven teachers from a school in Oyo State on May 15, 2026, without what he described as a significant gesture of solidarity from President Tinubu to Governor Seyi Makinde.
He questioned whether the President remained fit to continue in office, citing what he called a worsening leadership crisis in the country.
Obi said he had publicly commented on the Oyo school abduction on two occasions, including appealing directly to the kidnappers to release the victims, and had also spoken with Governor Makinde twice to express solidarity.
He added that he visited Ibadan on July 3 alongside Prof. Pat Utomi to identify with the governor and discuss the security situation.
According to Obi, Makinde informed him during their meeting that he had not received any telephone call from President Tinubu regarding the abduction.
Drawing from his experience as governor of Anambra State, Obi said former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan regularly contacted state governors during major security emergencies.
He maintained that the current administration had witnessed more than 13 school abductions and argued that the President’s alleged failure to personally engage affected state governors reflected a lack of leadership and empathy.
Obi said the continued captivity of schoolchildren, teachers and other Nigerians underscored what he described as the collapse of governance under the Tinubu administration.
He insisted that, in view of what he termed “glaring incompetence,” the President should either resign or decline to seek another term in office.
“This appeal is motivated by patriotism, not politics. A New Nigeria is Possible,” the statement added.
