Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has urged President Bola Tinubu to cut short his trip to France and immediately return to Nigeria to tackle the escalating security crisis, especially in Plateau and Benue states.
In a post shared on his official X account on Wednesday, the 63-year-old condemned the President’s absence amidst the growing violence and insecurity nationwide.
“Mr President, domestic problems beckon,” Obi wrote. “I am compelled at this time in our lives as a nation to call on our retreating President’s attention to the security challenges at home, which entail that he immediately suspend his ongoing retreat in a foreign land and come home to address the overwhelming security situation across the country.”
The former Anambra State governor lamented that over 150 Nigerians have been killed in the past two weeks, citing renewed attacks in Plateau and Zamfara States, while pipeline explosions in the Niger Delta further highlighted the country’s dire state.
“In the two weeks you have been away, over 150 Nigerians have lost their lives to insecurity across Nigeria, especially in Plateau and Zamfara states,” he said.
“The primary duty of any government is securing the lives and property of its citizens, and one wonders the type of retreat going on in another country where peace has been secured by their leaders, while blood continues to flow in our country.”
Obi described the nation as being in a state of distress, comparing the President to a CEO distancing himself from the headquarters of a struggling company. He called on the President to act swiftly and decisively to address the crisis.
“Amid all these, the CEO of the troubled company called Nigeria, is retreating in a faraway land in France, detached from the company’s headquarters.
“I therefore urge Mr President to quickly suspend whatever he is doing in France and rush home to take responsibility by addressing these disturbing issues. That is the new Nigeria the nation seeks,” he noted.
Obi had earlier visited victims and families affected by recent attacks in the Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State. He condemned the violence, describing the killings as “senseless” and unacceptable in a nation not officially at war.
Tinubu’s Earlier Reaction
In a Monday statement signed by his special adviser on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu expressed deep sorrow over the recent bloodshed in Plateau State, where over 40 people were killed.
The President urged Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, to summon the political will to restore peace and order.
He called for unity among religious and ethnic communities and appealed to leaders to work together to end the cycle of violence.
“Love and unity must transcend ethnic and religious divides,” Tinubu said, as he encouraged collaboration among community, spiritual, and political leaders.