Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has revealed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has not contacted Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, more than 50 days after the abduction of schoolchildren in the state.
Obi revealed this in a statement posted on his X account on Monday after a visit to Ibadan, where he met with Governor Makinde alongside political economist, Pat Utomi.
According to the former Anambra State governor, he travelled to Oyo State to express solidarity with the governor and the people of the state over the prolonged captivity of the pupils.
Obi said he had assumed that President Tinubu had been in regular contact with Makinde over the incident but was surprised to discover otherwise during their meeting.
“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.”
The former Labour Party presidential candidate described the development as disturbing, noting that the children had remained in captivity for more than 50 days without being rescued.
He said he had previously appealed to the kidnappers to release the victims and had also spoken with Governor Makinde on two occasions to offer his support.
Drawing comparisons with the 2014 abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls, Obi recalled that former President Goodluck Jonathan came under intense criticism for delaying communication with the affected state governor.
According to him, Tinubu was among those who strongly criticised Jonathan at the time.
“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.”
Obi argued that the current administration has recorded several school kidnapping incidents, yet the President had allegedly failed to personally reach out to the governor of the affected state.
“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.”
Obi said the lack of communication from the President reflected what he described as a failure of leadership and compassion in addressing the country’s security challenges.
“The situation reflects a total lack of capacity and compassion, compounded by glaring insensitivity.”
The former Anambra State governor renewed his call for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to resign or forgo seeking another term in office, arguing that the country’s worsening security situation demands greater accountability.
“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.”