Obi says the Tinubu who governed Lagos is not the one leading Nigeria today, citing poverty and hunger figures

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has called on President Bola Tinubu to step aside, saying he lacks the capacity to address the challenges facing the country.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics with Seun Okinbaloye, the former Anambra State governor accused Tinubu of leading Nigeria in the wrong direction, and said the country needs a leader with the commitment to tackle its challenges.

Why Obi says Tinubu should retire

Obi drew a distinction between Tinubu’s tenure as Lagos State governor and his current performance as president.

“The Bola Tinubu that was governor is not the one that is president today. He’s tired. He should be allowed to retire in peace and then go home,” he said.

He argued that Tinubu’s administration had failed to provide the direction Nigeria needs.

“As it is right now, Bola Tinubu is leading us nowhere. We will turn it so he can see it. That’s why maybe I’m calling for his retirement. The man should just step aside. Yes, he doesn’t have the capacity to do the job,” he said.

The remarks came as Obi reacted to a recent letter from US President Donald Trump commending Tinubu’s leadership in the fight against terrorism, though he maintained his focus should remain on Nigeria’s domestic conditions rather than international praise.

Obi cites poverty and hunger figures

Turning to poverty, Obi accused political actors of failing to prioritise the issues affecting ordinary Nigerians, citing global projections on poverty and food insecurity.

“The World Bank has just said that 79% of Nigerians are going to face poverty. In a country of 230 million people, that’s over 180 million. That should be the issue we should be discussing,” he said.

He said out-of-school children, healthcare and missing public funds deserved more national attention.

“They should be talking about the issue of out-of-school children, talking about the issue of health, and all these monies that are missing here and there that would have been invested properly. Nobody is discussing it,” he said.

Obi said the 2027 general election should centre on issues affecting ordinary citizens rather than political positioning.

“This election in 2027 should be about issues that affect the ordinary Nigerians. The World Food Programme has just said 35 million Nigerians are going to face hunger. Nigerians are being kidnapped. Let’s talk about Nigeria,” he said.

A recurring flashpoint between Obi and the presidency

This is not the first time Obi has called for Tinubu’s resignation.

When he made a similar call in June, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga dismissed it as “childish and an unwarranted distraction,” describing Obi’s analysis as “not only misplaced but also reflects a selective and distorted view of Nigeria’s realities since 2023.”

The presidency has also previously pushed back on separate claims by Obi that his safety and political ambitions were being undermined by the government, with Onanuga describing those allegations as “fabricated” and lacking evidence.

His latest remarks add to a string of increasingly pointed exchanges between the NDC candidate and the presidency as both sides position for the 2027 general election, with Obi continuing to frame the contest around poverty, insecurity and what he describes as leadership failure, while the presidency maintains its economic reforms are beginning to yield results.