Tinubu yet to call Makinde 50 days after Oyo schoolchildren abduction, Obi claims

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, has alleged that President Bola Tinubu has not spoken with Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde more than 50 days after the abduction of schoolchildren in the state, describing the development as evidence of a worsening leadership crisis.

Obi made the claim in a statement on Monday titled “Worsening Leadership Crisis in the Country Now Evident,” following a visit to Ibadan on Friday with economist and political activist, Pat Utomi, to express solidarity with Makinde.

According to the former Anambra State governor, he had assumed that the President and the governor had been in regular communication over the incident until he met Makinde.

“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 said.

He said the visit came after more than 50 days had passed without the rescue of the abducted schoolchildren, adding that numerous other Nigerians also remain in captivity across the country.

Obi disclosed that he had twice spoken publicly about the abduction, including appealing directly to the kidnappers to release the children, and had also called Makinde twice to offer his support.

“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,” he said.

The former governor contrasted the current situation with his experience while serving as governor of Anambra State, saying former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan regularly contacted governors during major security emergencies.

He also recalled the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls in 2014, noting that Tinubu was among those who criticised then-President Goodluck Jonathan for delaying his call to the Borno State governor.

“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,” Obi said.

He argued that the Tinubu administration had witnessed more than 13 school kidnappings and accused the President of showing insufficient concern for the victims.

“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,” he said.

Obi further stated that the situation reflected “a total lack of capacity and compassion” and urged Tinubu to either resign from office or decline to seek re-election.

The Presidency had not responded to Obi’s claims at the time this report was filed.