The Presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democraric Congress (NDC) in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of presiding over what he described as a worsening leadership crisis marked by incapacity, lack of compassion, and the collapse of governance.
In a statement released on Monday, Obi said the ultimate consequence of “uncompassionate leadership” is the transformation of citizens’ frustration into deep and volatile resentment, warning that the country’s worsening insecurity reflects a government that has failed in both capacity and empathy.
The former Anambra State governor expressed concern over the abduction of schoolchildren in Oyo State, lamenting that more than 50 days after the incident, there had been no tangible progress toward securing their release.
Obi disclosed that he had spoken publicly about the abduction on two occasions, including appealing directly to the kidnappers to release the children. He also revealed that he had called Seyi Makinde twice to express solidarity, stressing that the incident was not merely an Oyo State problem but a national tragedy.
According to him, he travelled to Ibadan on July 3 alongside Pat Utomi to meet with Governor Makinde after more than seven weeks had passed without the rescue of the abducted children.
During the meeting, Obi said he shared his experience in tackling insecurity while serving as governor of Anambra State, recalling that former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, and Goodluck Jonathan personally contacted state governors whenever serious security challenges arose.
Obi said he was surprised to learn from Governor Makinde that President Tinubu had not placed a single call to him regarding the abduction more than 50 days after the incident.
Drawing a comparison with the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping, Obi noted that although the administration of former President Jonathan was heavily criticised for taking over two weeks before contacting the Borno State governor, the current administration had gone more than seven weeks without similar engagement despite experiencing over 13 school kidnapping incidents.
He recalled that Tinubu was among the prominent critics who demanded Jonathan’s resignation over his handling of the Chibok crisis, arguing that the same standard should now apply to the current administration.
Obi described the situation as evidence that governance had “completely collapsed” under Tinubu’s administration, citing what he called a total lack of capacity, compassion, and sensitivity to the plight of Nigerians.
The former presidential candidate maintained that, given the prevailing insecurity and leadership failures, President Tinubu should either resign from office or, at the very least, decline to seek re-election in the interest of the country.
The full statement
Worsening Leadership Crisis in the Country Now Evident
The ultimate cost of uncompassionate leadership, as evident in the country today, is turning citizens’ frustration into deep, volatile resentment. It is even more traumatising when the leader presiding over that collapse demonstrates clear incapacity and a lack of compassion.
The government and people of Oyo State, more than 50 days after the abduction of the schoolchildren without any tangible effort toward their rescue, should rightly feel bitter and abandoned.
Since this unfortunate incident, I have spoken publicly about it twice, including appealing directly to the kidnappers to release the children. I also called the Governor twice to assure him of my solidarity, understanding that this issue is not just an Oyo problem but a Nigerian tragedy.
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.
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.
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.
I remember the only case of a school kidnapping during President Goodluck Jonathan’s era – the Chibok girls. It drew local and international attention. Even though the security agencies provided almost daily updates on their efforts, Nigerians and the rest of the world were outraged that it took President Jonathan over two weeks to call the then State chief Executive.
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.
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 7 weeks). This is outrageous. I suspect the same may also have been the case in other school kidnapping incidents.
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.
The situation reflects a total lack of capacity and compassion, compounded by glaring insensitivity.
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. -PO