Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), on Wednesday berated President Bola Tinubu over his handling of the deteriorating security situation in Nigeria.
Obi, writing on his X handle (formerly Twitter), said the Tinubu administration is more interested in destabilising opposition parties than addressing insecurity.
He said, “A few weeks ago, when President Trump described our country as “now disgraced,” many were outraged.
“Yet, how can we dispute it when, within a single week, 25 people were kidnapped, and one of our generals along with other officers was killed?
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“Today, we witness another troubling terror attack in Kwara State. Rather than uniting in this critical moment, we are consumed by internal wrangling, party squabbles, and distractions.”
Obi, while writing on the current crisis rocking the opposition parties, described the crisis as deliberately orchestrated by the government.
“Look closely at what is happening in the PDP, the Labour Party, SDP, and other political formations—crises deliberately orchestrated by a government that should be embracing everyone so we can unite in this troubling period,” he stated.
He recalled how the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua directed Maurice Iwu, former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to ensure stability in the opposition parties as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy.
“I am reminded of a pivotal moment under President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. During an internal crisis in my then-political party, he instructed the INEC Chairman, Maurice Iwu, that the stability of every political party—not just the ruling party—was essential for democracy. No party was to be undermined; all were to function within the law.
“What we witness today is the opposite. The current government seems more intent on weakening parties than strengthening our democracy—seeking to fragment the PDP, Labour Party, SDP, and others”
The former Anambra State governor, noted that “in democratic nations, opposition is respected, elections reflect the will of the people, and governance involves carrying everyone along for peace and prosperity.”
