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Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has disclosed that Governor Seyi Makinde has not received a single call from President Bola Tinubu since the abduction of schoolchildren in Oyo State more than 50 days ago.
In a statement on Monday, the presidential candidate said he travelled to Ibadan on Friday to meet with Makinde and was “shocked” to discover the president’s lack of communication.
“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 recalled that Tinubu had led calls for President Goodluck Jonathan‘s immediate resignation over a delay in calling the then governor following the Chibok girls’ abduction in 2014.
“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,” Obi said.
“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.”
He noted that there have been more than 13 school kidnappings under Tinubu’s watch.
“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),” he said.
“This is outrageous. I suspect the same may also have been the case in other school kidnapping incidents.”
Obi said the situation reflects a broader governance failure. He said his call for Tinubu to step aside was “patriotic, not political.”
“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 said.
“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.”
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…
— Peter Obi (@PeterObi) July 6, 2026
