NDC Presidential candidate Peter Obi has renewed calls for President Bola Tinubu to resign over what he described as “monumental failure in governance,” drawing a comparison with the British prime minister’s resignation announcement.
Drawing a Parallel
In a statement issued Monday, Obi said he had listened to the British leader’s resignation speech, which he linked to “mounting public frustration over a stagnant economy, a worsening cost-of-living crisis, and a perceived failure to honour key campaign pledges.”
He said the development prompted him to reflect on accountability in Nigerian politics, recalling that Tinubu, then in opposition, had repeatedly demanded the resignation of former president Goodluck Jonathan over insecurity and economic hardship, including during the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction.
Unmet Campaign Promises
Obi noted that Tinubu, during his 2023 campaign, pledged to improve electricity supply, fight corruption and boost the welfare of Nigerians, and had told voters not to re-elect him if he failed to deliver.
“At present, however, these conditions have worsened,” Obi said, pointing to unreliable power supply, intensified insecurity including kidnappings, and deepening economic hardship. He added that infrastructure, transportation and anti-corruption efforts had also “regressed.”
Call for Accountability
Obi said he was joining “Nigerians of goodwill” in calling for Tinubu’s resignation, describing it as a step that would entrench “a political culture rooted in accountability and responsibility” rather than impunity.
“It would also send a powerful message that public office is a sacred trust, not an entitlement,” he said, adding that ending what he called a culture of impunity was necessary to secure “a New Nigeria that is possible” for future generations
