Peter Obi blasts Tinubu over Oyo school kidnapping

Former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, has strongly criticized President Bola Tinubu over the Federal Government’s handling of insecurity, particularly the prolonged abduction of schoolchildren in Oyo State.

In a post shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, Obi described the country’s security situation as “the ultimate cost of uncompassionate leadership,” warning that the growing frustration among Nigerians is fast turning into “deep, volatile resentment.”

According to Obi, the abducted schoolchildren have remained in captivity for more than 50 days, a development he said has left the people of Oyo State feeling abandoned.

“The people of Oyo should rightly feel bitter and abandoned,” Obi wrote, stressing that despite repeated public appeals, solidarity visits, and calls for urgent intervention, the Federal Government has not demonstrated the level of urgency expected in such a national emergency.

Obi also revealed that he recently visited Ibadan alongside renowned economist, Prof. Pat Utomi, where they met with Governor Seyi Makinde to express solidarity with the people of the state.

Reflecting on his time as Governor of Anambra State, Obi recalled that whenever insecurity threatened lives in his state, former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan personally reached out to him to offer support and discuss possible solutions.

Obi said he was “utterly shocked” to learn that President Tinubu had allegedly not called Governor Makinde since the school abduction occurred.

Drawing a comparison with the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ kidnapping, Obi noted that Tinubu had, at the time, publicly demanded the resignation of then-President Goodluck Jonathan over his handling of the crisis. He argued that under the current administration, there have been more than 13 school kidnappings, yet there has been no similar display of presidential engagement with affected state governments.

Obi further stated that “governance has completely collapsed under this administration,” accusing the President of showing “a total lack of capacity and compassion.” He concluded his post by urging Tinubu to “either resign or abstain from seeking re-election for the sake of our dear country,” adding a message of hope that “a new Nigeria is possible.”

The post has generated widespread reactions on social media, with supporters and critics debating Obi’s assessment of the nation’s security challenges. Meanwhile, Nigerians continue to hope for the safe rescue of the abducted schoolchildren and for stronger efforts to address the country’s worsening insecurity.