Oshiomhole targets Obi’s security record ahead of 2027 race

As the battle for the 2027 presidency begins to take shape, Adams Oshiomhole, Senator, has questioned Peter Obi’s ability to tackle Nigeria’s security crisis, arguing that the former Anambra governor failed to curb kidnapping and violent crime during his time in office. The Edo North lawmaker said Edo State was considerably safer under his administration than Anambra was under Obi, challenging the former Labour Party presidential candidate’s credentials as a national leader capable of restoring security across the country.

Oshiomhole made the remarks during an interview on Seun Okinbaloye’s podcast, which circulated on Sunday. The former governor of Edo State said Obi’s record in Anambra does not support the growing perception of him as a leader capable of addressing Nigeria’s complex security challenges.

According to Oshiomhole, insecurity remained a major problem in Anambra throughout Obi’s tenure as governor between 2006 and 2014, adding that significant efforts to combat kidnapping only emerged after Willie Obiano succeeded him.

“Peter Obi could not fix insecurity in Anambra State. It took the intervention of Governor Obiano, who took over from him and began to destroy the properties of those whom he believed had used their compounds for kidnapping,” Oshiomhole said.

The senator, who governed Edo State from 2008 to 2016, said both states faced security threats during the same period but argued that Edo performed better.

“And Governor Obi, as he then was. I was a governor then. My state was safer than Anambra under Obi. So, if Obi couldn’t fix Anambra State and couldn’t handle the Bakassi Boys until Obiano intervened, do you think that is the guy who will have the courage to fix Nigeria?” he asked.

Oshiomhole further alleged that kidnapping had become deeply entrenched in Anambra during Obi’s administration.

“It got to a situation where wives kidnapped husbands and husbands kidnapped wives and told children to bring money. It got to that level,” he said.

The former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) also criticised Obi’s recent comments against ethnic profiling, saying political leaders must go beyond highlighting national problems and present practical solutions.

“Recently, he said we shouldn’t be doing ethnic profiling. Fine. What then should we be doing?” Oshiomhole said.

“Everybody knows that things are not perfect, but a statesman must provide answers. There have to be specific new things that they will bring. But we haven’t heard anything other than the buzzword, ‘Do the right thing.’ What is the right thing and what is the left thing?”

The comments come amid growing political activity ahead of the 2027 general election, with major political figures already positioning themselves for another presidential contest.

Oshiomhole expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu would secure re-election, insisting that opposition candidates would struggle to replicate their performance in the 2023 polls.

“Tinubu will win hands down, and these people will not get the kind of votes they got before,” he said.

Obi, who contested the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Labour Party and finished third, is now the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 election.