Former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticized President Bola Tinubu for allegedly failing to personally contact Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde following the abduction of pupils and teachers in the state.
According to Obi, more than 50 days after armed attackers reportedly kidnapped 37 pupils and teachers from a school in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Governor Makinde revealed that he had not received a single phone call from the President regarding the incident.
Obi disclosed this after a recent visit to the Oyo governor in Ibadan, where they discussed the country’s worsening security situation. He described the alleged lack of communication as disappointing, arguing that national leaders should demonstrate empathy and solidarity during moments of crisis.
The former governor said he had previously spoken publicly about the abduction, appealed for the safe release of the victims, and personally contacted Governor Makinde before visiting him alongside economist and political activist Pat Utomi.
Reflecting on his time as governor of Anambra State, Obi recalled that former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, and Goodluck Jonathan regularly reached out to state governors whenever major security incidents occurred. He said he expected a similar level of engagement from the current administration.
Obi also drew comparisons with the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction, noting that Tinubu, then an opposition leader, strongly criticized the federal government’s handling of the crisis and demanded greater presidential involvement.
He argued that Nigeria has witnessed numerous school kidnappings in recent years and insisted that every incident deserves urgent attention from the country’s leadership. According to him, the continued captivity of schoolchildren, teachers, and other kidnap victims highlights the need for stronger action to address the nation’s security challenges.
Obi maintained that protecting the lives of Nigerians should remain the government’s highest priority. He renewed his call for President Tinubu to either step down or decline to seek re-election in 2027, insisting that his position is motivated by national interest rather than partisan politics.
The Presidency, however, has consistently maintained that security agencies are intensifying operations against criminal groups across the country and has urged Nigerians to support ongoing efforts to restore peace and improve security.
