Seyi Makinde Told Me Tinubu Never Called Over Oyo Abduction, Peter Obi Reveals, Calls for President’s Resignation

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has alleged that Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde told him President Bola Tinubu did not contact him for more than 50 days following the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in the state, describing the development as evidence of a worsening leadership crisis.

Mr Obi made the claim in a post on his verified X handle on Monday, July 6, 2026, titled “Worsening Leadership Crisis in the Country Now Evident”. He said he travelled to Ibadan on Friday, July 3, alongside economist Prof. Pat Utomi to meet with Governor Makinde after more than seven weeks had passed without the rescue of the children.

During the two-hour meeting, Mr Obi said he shared his experience in tackling insecurity as governor of Anambra State and recalled that former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan would personally call state governors multiple times during major security crises. However, he expressed shock at what he discovered from the governor.

“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,” Mr Obi wrote.

Mr Obi drew a comparison with the 2014 abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls, noting that President Tinubu, then an opposition leader, was among those who criticised then-President Goodluck Jonathan for taking more than two weeks to contact the affected 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,” Mr Obi wrote.

The NDC presidential candidate also alleged that more than 13 school kidnappings had occurred under the current administration, yet the President had found it difficult to call the affected state’s chief executive after more than 50 days.

“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.

Mr Obi called on President Tinubu to either resign from office or refrain from seeking re-election in 2027, maintaining that his appeal was motivated by concern for the country rather than partisan politics.

“Amid such an apparent display of incompetence, the President should either resign or, at the very least, abstain from seeking re-election for the sake of our dear country. This call is patriotic, not political,” he said.

The abduction occurred on May 15, 2026, when gunmen stormed three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, abducting 37 pupils and teachers. President Tinubu had condemned the abduction at the time and directed security agencies to ensure the safe rescue of the victims. However, more than 50 days later, the victims remain in captivity.

The Presidency has consistently maintained that security agencies are intensifying operations to secure the release of all abducted persons.

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