Peter Obi says Nigeria is at war and urges Tinubu to stop ignoring the deadly insecurity.
He demands urgent action, insisting saving lives must take priority over ribbon-cutting events.
Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has called on President Bola Tinubu to acknowledge the worsening security situation in Nigeria, stating that the country is effectively at war and can no longer afford to live in denial.
Obi’s comments follow a series of recent deadly attacks, including the killing of 17 soldiers in Niger State and the massacre of over 100 civilians in Zamfara State. In a strongly worded statement, the former Anambra State governor urged the president to shift his administration’s focus from ceremonial events to concrete actions that protect the lives of Nigerians.
“The deaths in our country continue unabated, as one reads the heartbreaking stories that have become our daily reality,” Obi said. “With the brutal killings of over 100 people in Zamfara, including our revered military men, Mr. President, it is time to accept the inevitable truth and act decisively.”
He stressed that the current rate of violent deaths in Nigeria resembles that of nations officially at war, and in some cases, may even exceed it.
“We can no longer afford the dangerous denial,” Obi stated. “The number of lives lost in Nigeria now mirrors countries at war, and the death in our own country even happens more often than in countries at war.”
Obi emphasized that governance must now be about saving lives, not commissioning infrastructure or focusing on public appearances. “It is time to prioritize the security of lives over infrastructure projects. Governance must now become about saving lives, not cutting ribbons and headlining ceremonies on front pages,” he said.
He described the repeated loss of lives, whether military personnel, children, or abducted citizens, as a national emergency that demands an urgent leadership response.
“Every child buried, every soldier slain, every Nigerian abducted, is a loud cry that leadership must hear,” Obi added. “The true measure of leadership is not in the number of roads built or bridges commissioned, but in how many lives are preserved, how many families sleep in peace, and how many communities thrive without fear of bandits.”
Obi concluded by asserting that the security and survival of the Nigerian people must rise above politics. “This is no longer about politics; it is about the survival of Nigerians. The soul of our nation is bleeding, and only true leadership can save our dear country,” he said.
He ended his statement with a message of hope: “A new Nigeria is possible.”
