Presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, on Monday mounted a fierce attack on President Bola Tinubu over the worsening insecurity in the country, declaring that the president should resign or drop any ambition of seeking a second term if he cannot guarantee the safety of Nigerians.

Obi's criticism followed the prolonged captivity of schoolchildren abducted in Oyo State, a development he described as a damning indictment of the Federal Government’s handling of security challenges.

In a statement posted on his X account after meeting Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde in Ibadan, the former Anambra governor said the continued detention of the pupils more than 50 days after their abduction underscores what he called the administration’s failure to respond decisively to threats against innocent citizens.

The former Labour Party presidential candidate said the incident had exposed a troubling lack of urgency and compassion from the nation’s leadership at a time many families are living in fear of kidnappers, bandits and other criminal groups.

Describing the situation as a “Nigerian tragedy,” Obi warned that public frustration was steadily deepening as citizens watched insecurity spread while victims remained in captivity.

“The ultimate cost of uncompassionate leadership, as evident in the country today, is turning citizens’ frustration into deep, volatile resentment,” Obi said.

“It is even more traumatising when the leader presiding over that collapse demonstrates clear incapacity and a lack of compassion.”

Obi disclosed that he had previously appealed to the abductors to release the children and had also reached out to Governor Makinde on two occasions to express solidarity, maintaining that insecurity should be a national concern rather than a partisan issue.

He revealed that he travelled to Ibadan on July 3 alongside renowned economist and political activist, Pat Utomi, to sympathise with the governor and receive updates on efforts to secure the release of the pupils.

However, Obi said one revelation from the visit left him particularly disturbed.

According to him, Governor Makinde disclosed that he had not received a single telephone call from President Tinubu regarding the abduction despite the length of time the children had remained in captivity.

“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 alleged.

The opposition figure drew a comparison with the 2014 abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls under former President Goodluck Jonathan, recalling that Tinubu was among leading opposition voices who sharply criticised Jonathan’s response to the incident.

Obi argued that the same standards of accountability demanded from previous administrations should be applied to the current government.

“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,” he said.

“That call for immediate resignation should actually be the case in this matter.”

He further claimed that more than 13 school abductions have occurred since Tinubu assumed office, alleging that the administration has failed to demonstrate sufficient concern for victims and their families.

Obi maintained that the lives of abducted children, teachers and other Nigerians held by criminal groups should rank above every other national priority, insisting that government exists primarily to protect lives and property.

“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,” he said.

“It is now an indisputable fact that governance has completely collapsed under this administration.”

The latest remarks are expected to heighten political tensions ahead of the 2027 general election, as opposition figures continue to seize on the country’s security challenges to question the performance of the Tinubu administration.

With kidnappings, bandit attacks and violent crimes remaining persistent concerns across several states, security is increasingly emerging as one of the defining issues in Nigeria’s evolving political landscape.