Abstain From Seeking Re-election In 2027— Peter Obi Tells Tinubu Over Oyo School Abduction
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 general election, Peter Obi, has urged President Bola Tinubu not to seek re-election, citing what he described as the Federal Government’s failure to respond adequately to the abduction of schoolchildren in Oyo State.
Obi made the call in a statement issued on Monday while reacting to the continued captivity of the pupils more than 50 days after they were kidnapped, arguing that the incident reflects a collapse of governance, a lack of compassion and inadequate leadership at the highest level.
According to him, the prolonged delay in securing the children's release has left the people and government of Oyo State feeling abandoned, while frustration among Nigerians continues to deepen.
The former Anambra State governor said he had spoken publicly on the incident on two occasions, including appealing directly to the abductors to free the children. He added that he also contacted Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde twice to express solidarity, stressing that the kidnapping was a national tragedy rather than a state issue.
Obi disclosed that on July 3, he travelled to Ibadan alongside Professor Pat Utomi to meet with Governor Makinde after more than seven weeks had passed without the children's rescue.
He said that during the meeting, he shared his experiences in tackling insecurity while serving as governor of Anambra State and recalled how former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua and Goodluck Jonathan regularly reached out to governors whenever major security challenges occurred in their states.
Obi expressed surprise after learning from Makinde that President Tinubu had allegedly not placed a single call to the Oyo governor since the abduction.
Drawing a comparison with the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls' abduction, Obi recalled that although former President Goodluck Jonathan faced widespread criticism for taking more than two weeks to contact the Borno State governor, security agencies at the time provided frequent public updates on rescue efforts.
He further alleged that Tinubu was among those who strongly criticised Jonathan over the Chibok incident and demanded his resignation, arguing that the same standard should now apply.
Obi claimed that more than 13 school kidnappings have occurred during Tinubu's administration and questioned what he described as the President's failure to personally engage affected state governors following such 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,” he said.
Describing the situation as evidence of "a total lack of capacity and compassion," Obi maintained that President Tinubu should either resign or refrain from contesting the 2027 presidential election.
“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,” Obi stated.