Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has launched a scathing attack on President Bola Tinubu, accusing him of failing to show empathy and leadership over the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Ogbomoso.

Obi, in a statement issued on Monday, described it as “outrageous” that President Tinubu had allegedly not placed a single call to Seyi Makinde more than 50 days after the mass abduction, saying the development underscores what he termed a deepening leadership crisis in Nigeria.

The former Anambra State governor disclosed that he visited Governor Makinde in Ibadan last Friday alongside renowned economist Pat Utomi to express solidarity with the state government and families of the victims.

According to Obi, he was stunned during their meeting to discover that the President had not personally reached out to Makinde since the tragic incident occurred.

Drawing comparisons with previous administrations, Obi recalled that former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, and Goodluck Jonathan maintained direct communication with state governors whenever serious security challenges arose.

He also referenced the widespread criticism that followed the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping, noting that Tinubu was among those who condemned Jonathan’s handling of the crisis.

Obi argued that the current administration has witnessed more than 13 school kidnappings, yet the President has allegedly failed to make even a symbolic call to the governor of the affected state.

Describing the situation as evidence of collapsing governance, Obi lamented the continued captivity of schoolchildren and other Nigerians, insisting that the government had failed to demonstrate both the capacity and compassion required to tackle the country’s worsening insecurity.

He maintained that if the President could not provide effective leadership in addressing the nation’s security challenges, he should either resign or refrain from seeking another term in office, stressing that his position was motivated by patriotism rather than politics.