The presidential candidate of the NDC, Peter Obi, has criticised the administration of Bola Tinubu, describing the country’s leadership crisis as evidence of “incapacity and a lack of compassion.”
In a statement on Sunday, Obi said the government’s handling of the abduction of schoolchildren in Oyo State had left residents feeling “bitter and abandoned,” noting that more than 50 days had passed without what he described as any tangible effort toward rescuing the victims.
Obi disclosed that he had previously appealed to the kidnappers to release the children and had spoken twice with Seyi Makinde to express solidarity.
He said, “On Friday, July 3, I decided to travel to Ibadan with Prof. Pat Utomi to express solidarity with the Governor, as more than 50 days had elapsed without the rescue of the children and with numerous others still being held captive across the country.”
According to Obi, he was surprised to learn during the meeting that Makinde had not received any call from President Tinubu over the incident.
“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,” he said.
Obi compared the situation with the response to the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping during the administration of Goodluck Jonathan, recalling that Tinubu had criticised Jonathan for delaying contact with the affected governor.
“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. That call for immediate resignation should actually be the case in this matter,” Obi said.
He further alleged that there had been more than 13 school kidnappings under the current administration and accused the Federal Government of failing to demonstrate compassion or urgency.
“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 stated.
Obi concluded by calling on President Tinubu to resign or refrain from seeking another term in office.
“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,” he said.
