Peter Obi Demands President Tinubu Resign Over School Abductions

Following a July 3 visit to Ibadan, Peter Obi, the presidential candidate for the Nigeria Democratic Congress, demanded that President Bola Tinubu either resign or abandon his 2027 re-election bid. Obi cited a collapse of governance and a lack of presidential compassion regarding the May 15 abduction of 37 pupils and teachers in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. He alleged that Governor Seyi Makinde received no phone calls from the president in the more than 50 days since the incident, contrasting this with Tinubu's own previous demands for President Goodluck Jonathan's resignation during the 2014 Chibok kidnappings.

Obi characterized the situation as a national tragedy, noting that more than 13 school kidnappings have occurred under the current administration. He argued that the federal government's inaction risks turning citizen frustration into volatile resentment.

Supporters of the administration dismissed Obi's demands. Minister of Works David Umahi characterized Obi's influence as AI politics and asserted that he is not a threat to the president. Former Borno State Governor Ali Modu Sheriff alleged that Obi seeks to divide Nigeria and lacks Northern support due to his tenure as governor of Anambra State. Social commentator Segun Awosanya further criticized Obi as a leader of the mob who uses public anger to gain political power. The Presidency maintains that security agencies are intensifying operations to restore peace.