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, refrain from seeking re-election in 2027.
In a statement issued on Monday by his spokesman, Idris Zekeri, Obi said the President’s handling of insecurity and governance had negatively impacted Nigerians and heightened concerns about corruption and leadership.
According to Obi, recent events have reinforced the need for Tinubu to step aside, insisting that his appeal was driven by national interest rather than political considerations.
The former Labour Party presidential candidate 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 compassion 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 it had been 52 days since the abduction of 39 schoolchildren and seven teachers from schools in Oyo State on May 15, 2026, without what he described as any significant gesture of solidarity from President Tinubu to Governor Seyi Makinde.
He questioned whether the President remained fit to continue in office, citing what he called a worsening leadership crisis across the country.
Obi said he had publicly commented on the Oyo school abduction on two occasions, including appealing directly to the kidnappers to release the victims, and had also spoken with Governor Makinde twice to express solidarity.
He added that he visited Ibadan on July 3 alongside Prof. Pat Utomi to identify with the governor and discuss the security situation.
According to Obi, Governor Makinde informed him during the visit that he had not received a 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 regularly contacted state governors during major security emergencies.
He maintained that the current administration had witnessed more than 13 school abductions and argued that the President’s alleged failure to personally engage affected governors reflected a lack of leadership and empathy.
Obi said the continued captivity of schoolchildren, teachers and other Nigerians underscored what he described as a collapse of governance under the Tinubu administration.
He insisted that, given what he termed “glaring incompetence,” the President should either resign or decline to seek another term in office.
“This appeal is motivated by patriotism, not politics. A New Nigeria is Possible,” the statement added.
