Oyo abduction: Makinde told me Tinubu never called; shouldn’t seek re-election – Obi

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By Ayobami Okerinde

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The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2027 election, Peter Obi, has claimed that Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde told him President Bola Tinubu had not contacted him more than 50 days after the abduction of schoolchildren in the state, describing the development as evidence of a worsening leadership crisis.

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In a post on X on Monday titled “Worsening Leadership Crisis in the Country Now Evident”, Obi criticised the president’s handling of insecurity, accusing the administration of lacking compassion and capacity.

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Obi said he had publicly appealed twice to the kidnappers to release the children and had also spoken with Governor Makinde twice to express solidarity, describing the incident as “a Nigerian tragedy” rather than an Oyo State problem.

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He wrote, “The government and people of Oyo State, more than 50 days after the abduction of the schoolchildren without any tangible effort toward their rescue, should rightly feel bitter and abandoned.

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“Since this unfortunate incident, I have spoken publicly about it twice, including appealing directly to the kidnappers to release the children. I also called the Governor twice to assure him of my solidarity, understanding that this issue is not just an Oyo problem but a Nigerian tragedy.”

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The former Anambra State governor said that on Friday, July 3, he visited Ibadan alongside economist Prof. Pat Utomi to meet with Makinde and discuss the security situation.

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During the meeting, Obi said he shared his experience of managing insecurity while serving as governor of Anambra State, recalling that former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan regularly contacted governors whenever major security challenges arose.

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He said he was surprised to learn from Makinde that the Oyo governor had not received a single phone call from President Tinubu since the schoolchildren were abducted.

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“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,” Obi wrote.

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Drawing a comparison with the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction, Obi recalled that Tinubu was among those who criticised then-President Goodluck Jonathan for taking more than two weeks to contact the affected state governor.

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“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. That call for IMMEDIATE RESIGNATION should actually be the case in this matter,” he wrote.

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“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 (over 7 weeks). This is outrageous. I suspect the same may also have been the case in other school kidnapping incidents.”

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“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.”

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He concluded by calling on the president to either resign or decline to seek a second term in office.

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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 said.

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