Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi has accused President Bola Tinubu of demonstrating a total lack of empathy and a collapse in governance after failing to contact Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde more than 50 days after the abduction of local schoolchildren.
The former Anambra State governor made the remarks following a solidarity visit to Ibadan on Friday, July 3, alongside prominent economist Prof. Pat Utomi. Obi expressed shock that the presidency had completely distanced itself from the crisis, leaving the government and people of Oyo State feeling abandoned in what he termed a “national tragedy.”
Obi revealed that during his meeting with Governor Makinde, he discovered the Governor had not received a single phone call from President Tinubu since the children were abducted over seven weeks ago.
Drawing a direct parallel to the 2014 Chibok girls’ kidnapping, Obi reminded the public that Tinubu had loudly demanded former President Goodluck Jonathan’s immediate resignation for delaying contact with the affected state governor. Obi argued that the same standard should apply now.
Under the current administration, Obi alleged that more than 13 school kidnappings have taken place, with the federal leadership continually showing a “clear incapacity” to address the security collapse.
In a strongly worded statement, Obi decried the psychological toll on the victims’ families and the general public, warning that the federal government’s indifference is turning citizen frustration into volatile resentment.
”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,” Obi stated. “It is now an indisputable fact that governance has completely collapsed under this administration.”
He maintained that previous presidents, including Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, and Goodluck Jonathan regularly maintained direct communication with state executives during major security emergencies. Obi urged President Tinubu to either focus on his constitutional duties or step aside entirely, insisting his critique was driven by patriotism rather than politics.
