Obi to Tinubu: Abandon Foreign “Retreat” and Confront National Crisis Head-On
As the nation grapples with intensifying violence and a wave of insecurity sweeping across multiple states, former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has issued a scathing rebuke to President Bola Tinubu over his continued absence from the country.
Obi, in a pointed statement posted via his verified X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday, demanded that the President immediately suspend his ongoing stay in France and return to address what he described as a growing national emergency.
“Retreating President Must Return”
“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,” Obi stated. “He must 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’s comments come as Nigeria battles a sharp spike in insecurity, marked by mass killings, abductions, and rising criminality. Plateau, Zamfara, Borno, and other states have become flashpoints in what many observers now describe as a failing security architecture.
Bloodshed in the President’s Absence
According to Obi, more than 150 lives have been lost in violent attacks during the two weeks President Tinubu has been away. He pointed to recent killings in Plateau and Zamfara, a resurgence of insurgency in Borno, pipeline explosions in the Niger Delta, and renewed violence in the South East as indicators of a nation in deep crisis.
“In the North East, Borno state leaders are bemoaning the return of insurgency with troops and civilians being killed randomly. In the South East, the story is the same: killings and abduction,” Obi said. “Amid all these, the CEO of the troubling company called Nigeria is retreating in a faraway land.”
The Illusion of Leadership from Afar
Obi questioned the logic of a foreign “retreat” while the country teeters on the edge of chaos, criticizing the President’s detachment as symbolic of a broader failure in leadership.
“What kind of retreat is going on in another country where peace has been secured by their leaders, while blood continues to flow in our own?” he asked. “The primary duty of any government is the protection of lives and property.”
The former presidential hopeful stressed that governance is not about individuals or political loyalty, but about delivering tangible results that impact the lives of citizens. “The fight for a better Nigeria is not about individuals,” he wrote, “It is about ensuring that every citizen can see, feel, and benefit from the policies and decisions of those in power.”
Growing Discontent, Waning Confidence
Obi’s remarks add to a chorus of public dissatisfaction with President Tinubu’s perceived absence of urgency in responding to the escalating domestic crises. Civil society groups, security experts, and opposition figures have expressed concern that the President’s extended foreign stay, under the label of a “working visit,” is a glaring abdication of responsibility at a time of national turmoil.
While the presidency has maintained that Tinubu’s visit is official and necessary, critics argue that leadership—especially in times of distress—requires presence, empathy, and direct engagement with those bearing the brunt of the crisis.
As the death toll rises and insecurity spirals, the question remains: Will President Tinubu return home to lead—or continue to govern from afar while Nigeria burns?
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Obi to Tinubu: Abandon Foreign “Retreat” and Confront National Crisis Head-On