Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has challenged President Bola Tinubu to account for his administration’s performance before seeking re-election, arguing that Nigeria needs more active leadership to tackle its worsening economic and security challenges.
Obi made the remarks in Abuja during the inauguration of the NDC National Campaign Council, where he questioned Tinubu’s physical availability and capacity to provide the leadership he said the country urgently required.
“Above all, President Tinubu does not have the energy and resolve required to lead Nigeria today, and he must go home,” Obi said.
The former Anambra State governor maintained that the country needed a president who would be consistently present and directly engaged in addressing national problems rather than one whose leadership capacity, in his view, had become questionable.
He also challenged the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration to explain its record on poverty, unemployment, corruption and insecurity, insisting that Nigerians deserved a clear account of government performance.
Obi’s criticism comes amid Tinubu’s indication that he would not attend every campaign rally ahead of the 2027 presidential election, citing the demands of governance and other national responsibilities, including debt obligations.
The NDC candidate also took issue with Tinubu’s October 24 campaign launch in Kaduna, accusing the president of focusing on the opposition instead of presenting a detailed assessment of the outcomes of the 2023, 2024 and 2025 budgets.
He argued that the administration should demonstrate what its spending had achieved and explain how its policies had improved the living conditions of Nigerians.
Obi said his proposed approach to governance would be based on addressing problems rather than assigning blame, promising to prioritise practical solutions and tackle corruption.
“The purpose of governance is to solve problems, not to blame people. I will not blame anybody. We will create that new Nigeria that is possible,” he said.
