Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election and former governor of Anambra state, Mr Peter Obi, on Wednesday urged President Bola Tinubu to end his ongoing retreat in France and return to Nigeria immediately to tackle the worsening security crisis nationwide.
In a statement posted on his official X handle, Obi expressed deep concern over the increasing rate of violence and insecurity across the country, lamenting what he described as a “glaring absence of governance.”
“Within just two weeks of Mr President’s absence, over 150 Nigerians have lost their lives due to various security breaches, especially in Plateau and Zamfara States,” Obi wrote.
He also cited the resurgence of insurgency in the North-East, particularly in Borno State, where both civilians and security personnel have been reported killed.
According to him, the situation is not different in the South-East, where killings and abductions continue unabated.
He condemned the repeated pipeline explosions in the Niger Delta, describing them as further evidence of a nation in deep crisis. “Amid these disturbing developments, the CEO of the troubled company called Nigeria is holding a retreat in faraway France, removed from the epicentre of national distress,” he stated.
He questioned the wisdom of conducting a strategic retreat in a foreign land that enjoys relative peace and stability secured by its leadership, while back home, “blood continues to flow.”
Stressing that his comments were driven not by personal ambition but by a desire to see a better-governed nation, Obi urged the President to “suspend whatever he is doing in France and return home to take responsibility by addressing these disturbing issues.”
“The fight for a better Nigeria is not about individuals,” he noted.
“It is about ensuring that every citizen can see, feel, and benefit from the policies and decisions of those in power.”