- Peter Obi, urges President Bola Tinubu to return from his retreat in France.
- Obi emphasizes the need for Tinubu to address rising security issues in Nigeria.
- He highlights the growing violence and communal clashes impacting multiple regions of the country.
Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s candidate in the 2023 presidential election, has called on President Bola Tinubu to halt his ongoing retreat in France and return to Nigeria to address the escalating security concerns within the country.
Obi made this appeal through a post on his official X account on Wednesday, pointing out the increasing violence and communal clashes that are affecting various regions of the nation.
In his statement, Obi emphasized the gravity of the current security situation, citing the tragic deaths of over 150 Nigerians in the past two weeks, with notable casualties in Plateau and Zamfara states. He also referenced the persistent insurgency in Borno State and the troubling surge in killings and kidnappings across the Southeast. Additionally, he raised concerns over the recent pipeline explosions in the Niger Delta region.
The former Anambra State governor stressed that the President’s prolonged stay in France would only exacerbate the already dire situation. Obi urged Tinubu to reconsider his foreign trip, initially described by the Presidency as a “working visit,” amid growing speculation regarding its true nature.
Daniel Bwala, the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, had previously refuted claims made by activist Omoyele Sowore, which suggested that the trip was intended for medical purposes.
In Obi’s words;
“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 requires that he immediately suspend his ongoing retreat in a foreign land and come home to address the overwhelming security situation across the country.”
“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. The repeated pipeline explosions in the Niger Delta further reflect a nation in distress. In the North East, Borno State leaders are bemoaning the return of insurgency, with troops and civilians being killed randomly. In the Southeast, the story is the same: killings and abductions. Amid all these, the CEO of the troubled company called Nigeria is retreating to a faraway land in France from the company’s headquarters.”
“I, therefore, urge Mr. President to quickly suspend whatever he is doing in France and return home to take responsibility by addressing these disturbing issues. That is the new Nigeria that the nation seeks.”
The President departed Nigeria on April 2 and is anticipated to come back in approximately two weeks, as stated by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga.
