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, decline to seek re-election in 2027.
Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, said the President’s handling of national security and governance had negatively impacted the welfare of Nigerians while fuelling growing concerns over corruption and leadership.
In a statement issued on Monday by his spokesman, Idris Zekeri, Obi said recent developments had reinforced the need for Tinubu to step aside, stressing that his appeal was driven by national interest rather than partisan politics.
According to the statement, Obi recalled that in 2014, following the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls, then-opposition leader Bola Tinubu called on former President Goodluck Jonathan to resign, accusing him of failing to demonstrate leadership and empathy after waiting 19 days before contacting the then Governor of Borno State.
Obi argued that a similar situation had unfolded under the current administration, noting that 52 days had passed since the abduction of 39 schoolchildren and seven teachers from a school in Oyo State on May 15, 2026, without what he described as any significant gesture of solidarity from President Tinubu towards Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.
He questioned whether the President remained fit to continue in office, citing what he called a worsening leadership and security crisis in the country.
The former Anambra State governor said he had publicly addressed the Oyo school abduction on two occasions, including appealing directly to the kidnappers to release the victims. He added that he had also spoken twice with Governor Makinde to express his solidarity.
Obi further disclosed that he visited Ibadan on July 3 alongside Prof. Pat Utomi to identify with Governor Makinde and discuss the security situation in the state.
According to him, Governor Makinde informed him during the visit 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 routinely contacted state governors during major security emergencies, regardless of political affiliation.
He argued that such gestures demonstrated empathy, reassured affected communities, and reflected responsive national leadership, adding that the current administration should be held to the same standard it demanded of previous governments.