Peter Obi tells Tinubu to step down, says he can't fix Nigeria's problems

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in 2027, has urged President Bola Tinubu to resign before the next general election.

Obi, who was once the governor of Anambra State, believes that Tinubu is “tired” and lacks the ability to tackle Nigeria’s worsening economic and security issues. He made these comments on Sunday night while speaking on Channels TV’s Sunday Politics.

The former governor pointed out that while Tinubu did well as the governor of Lagos State, his current role as president has not helped the country deal with its growing problems.

“The Bola Tinubu who was governor of Lagos is not the one who is president today. He is tired. He should be allowed to retire in peace and then go home,” Obi said.

‘Nigeria going the wrong way’

Obi said Nigeria is “headed in the wrong direction” and needs a leader full of energy and dedication to help the country.

“As it stands, Bola Tinubu is leading us nowhere. We will turn it so he can see it. That is why I am calling for his retirement. The man should step aside. He does not have the capacity to do the job,” he explained.

He also challenged Tinubu to stop talking to Nigerians only through aides and spokespersons.

“We did not vote for the spokespersons. The person we voted for is Bola Tinubu. He is no longer talking to us; he has retreated into Aso Rock and turned it into a bunker. A leader’s first duty is to speak directly to the people,” he added. “I will speak to the people myself. I will tell them: ‘I said I would do this; this is where things stand.’ That is commitment.”

‘Talk about Nigeria’s problems, not me’

Obi expressed surprise that some politicians choose to discuss him on radio and television instead of focusing on Nigeria’s growing issues.

“The World Bank has stated that 79 percent of Nigerians are facing poverty. In a country of 230 million people, that is over 180 million. That should be the issue we are discussing,” he said.

“They should be talking about the issue of out-of-school children, the state of healthcare, and all the funds that are missing here and there, which should have been invested properly. Nobody is discussing that.”

Obi also mentioned food insecurity, saying millions of Nigerians are hungry. “The World Food Programme has reported that 35 million Nigerians are set to face hunger. Nigerians are being kidnapped. Let us talk about Nigeria,” he said.

Why Nigeria struggles with security

Obi argued that the rising poverty levels partly cause Nigeria’s insecurity problems. He stressed that addressing insecurity requires focusing on its economic roots, especially poverty and low access to education.

“You cannot create mass poverty and think you can deal with insecurity,” he stated. “The more you lift people out of poverty, the more you reduce criminality. You need to invest in education, massively.”

‘I want Nigeria to succeed’

Obi repeated his usual statement that he is not desperate to be Nigeria’s president.

“I am not desperate to be the Nigerian president. I am desperate to see Nigeria work,” he said.

The NDC candidate criticized Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, saying the president’s plans have failed. When asked if his idea of rebuilding Nigeria’s economy through production was similar to the president’s agenda, Obi disagreed with the comparison.

“No, no. That is ‘renewed hopelessness’. It is not working,” he said.

Obi emphasized that Nigerians need “real hope” based on clear and measurable progress, not just political promises. “The kind of hope I will bring is real hope, tangible hope that people will see and feel,” he concluded.