Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate for 2023 general elections, has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately suspend his ongoing retreat in France and return home to address what he described as the worsening security situation in Nigeria.
In a statement posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday, Obi expressed deep concern over the spate of killings, abductions, and general insecurity across the country in the past two weeks.
Dozens of Nigerians have lost their lives to insecurity within the period the President has been away, with Plateau, Benue and Zamfara recording particularly grim incidents.
“The repeated pipeline explosions in the Niger Delta, further reflect a nation in distress. In the North East, Borno state leaders are bemoaning the return of insurgency with troops and civilians being killed randomly. In the South East, the story is the same: killings and abduction,” Obi said.
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He criticised the president’s absence, likening it to the CEO of a troubled company leaving headquarters to retreat abroad while the company burns.
“One wonders the type of retreat going on in another country where peace has been secured by their leaders, while blood continues to flow in our country,” Obi stated.
Obi stressed that the primary duty of any government is to secure the lives and property of its citizens, urging the President to return and take direct responsibility.
“The fight for a better Nigeria is not about individuals; it is about ensuring that every citizen can see, feel, and benefit from the policies and decisions of those in power,” he said.
He concluded his statement with a passionate appeal: “I therefore urge Mr President to quickly suspend whatever he is doing in France and rush home to take responsibility by addressing these disturbing issues. That is the new Nigeria that the nation seeks.”
