Oyo abduction: Obi says Makinde told Him tinubu never called, urges president to drop re-election bid
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2027 election, Peter Obi, has alleged that President Bola Tinubu failed to contact Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde more than 50 days after the abduction of schoolchildren in the state, describing the situation as a reflection of a deepening leadership crisis.
In a post on X titled “Worsening Leadership Crisis in the Country Now Evident”, Obi criticised the Federal Government’s response to insecurity, accusing the Tinubu administration of lacking compassion and urgency.
According to Obi, he publicly appealed twice to the kidnappers to free the abducted pupils and also spoke with Governor Makinde on two occasions to express solidarity, insisting that the incident was a national tragedy rather than an Oyo State issue.
He said the prolonged delay in rescuing the children had left the people of Oyo feeling abandoned.
Obi disclosed that on July 3, he visited Ibadan alongside economist Prof. Pat Utomi to discuss the security situation with Governor Makinde. During the meeting, he shared his experience in handling insecurity as governor of Anambra State, noting that former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan regularly reached out to governors during major security crises.
He said he was shocked when Makinde informed him that President Tinubu had not placed a single call to him since the schoolchildren were abducted.
Obi drew comparisons with the 2014 abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls, recalling that Tinubu had strongly criticised former President Goodluck Jonathan for delaying contact with the affected governor and had demanded Jonathan’s resignation.
He argued that the current situation was even more troubling, claiming that more than 13 school kidnappings had occurred under Tinubu’s administration without adequate presidential engagement.
Describing the development as evidence of a collapse in governance, Obi said no issue should take priority over the rescue of kidnapped children, teachers and other Nigerians held captive across the country.
He therefore called on President Tinubu to either resign or refrain from seeking re-election in 2027, insisting that his appeal was made in the interest of the nation rather than for political reasons.
