Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s handling of insecurity, saying Nigeria’s worsening security situation reflects ineffective leadership.
In a statement posted on his verified X account on Monday, July 6, 2026, Obi expressed concern over the Federal Government’s response to the abduction of schoolchildren in Oyo State, noting that more than 50 days had passed without what he described as meaningful progress toward their release.
Obi said he publicly appealed to the kidnappers to free the children and later visited Ibadan on July 3 with economist Prof. Pat Utomi to meet Governor Seyi Makinde in solidarity with the state, the victims’ families and other Nigerians affected by kidnapping.
According to Obi, discussions focused on Nigeria’s security challenges and his experience as Anambra governor, when former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan routinely contacted governors after major security incidents.
He said he was surprised to learn that Governor Makinde had not received a single call from President Tinubu since the abduction. Comparing the situation to the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction, Obi questioned the President’s engagement with affected states and argued that if the administration cannot effectively address insecurity, Tinubu should resign or not seek re-election.
