Peter Obi urges Tinubu to resign over insecurity

Former Nigerian presidential candidate Peter Obi has called on President Bola Tinubu to resign or abandon any plans for reelection, citing a failure of leadership and compassion in the handling of a major kidnapping and broader national insecurity. Obi issued the demand in a statement on Monday, following a visit to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde over the weekend.

The call centers on the unresolved abduction of schoolchildren from the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, which occurred more than 50 days ago. Obi stated that during his meeting with Governor Makinde in Ibadan on Friday, July 3, he was shocked to learn that President Tinubu had not personally contacted the governor regarding the incident. He contrasted this with his own experience as a state governor, recalling that former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, and Goodluck Jonathan would routinely call state chief executives during major security crises.

Obi argued that the prolonged captivity of the children, without what he described as any tangible rescue effort, has left the people of Oyo State feeling bitter and abandoned. He said he had spoken publicly about the kidnapping twice, including...