Peter Obi Slams Tinubu For Not Calling Makinde 50 Days After Oyo School Abduction

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has criticised President Bola Tinubu over his handling of the abduction of schoolchildren in Ogbomoso, Oyo State.

In a statement on Monday, Obi expressed surprise that Tinubu had reportedly not contacted Oyo Governor Seyi Makinde more than 50 days after the kidnapping of pupils and teachers by gunmen.

Obi described the situation as a sign of poor leadership, saying the prolonged captivity of the victims had become a serious national concern.

He revealed that he visited Ibadan on Friday alongside economist and political activist Pat Utomi to show support for Makinde and discuss the security situation.

According to Obi, it was during their meeting that he learned the president had not reached out to the Oyo State governor over the incident.

“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,” Obi said.

“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.”

Obi also compared the government’s response to the Ogbomoso abduction with the public reaction to the kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls during Jonathan’s administration.

He noted that Tinubu had been one of the politicians who strongly criticised Jonathan at the time for what was seen as a slow response to the crisis.

“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,” he said.

“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 seven weeks). This is outrageous.”

He argued that the country’s growing insecurity has left many Nigerians feeling abandoned, stressing that the continued kidnapping of schoolchildren and other citizens points to serious weaknesses in governance.

“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,” he added.

“The situation reflects a total lack of capacity and compassion, compounded by glaring insensitivity.”

Obi further stated that if the president is unable to effectively tackle the nation’s security challenges, he should consider stepping down or avoid 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,” Obi said.

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