Peter Obi, Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately suspend his ongoing retreat in France and return to Nigeria to confront the country’s deepening insecurity.

In a sharply worded statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, Obi accused the President of abandoning the nation during a time of widespread violence and loss of lives.

“In the two weeks you have been away, over 150 Nigerians have lost their lives to insecurity across Nigeria, especially in Plateau and Zamfara States,” he wrote. “The repeated pipeline explosions in the Niger Delta further reflect a nation in distress.”

Obi warned that insurgents are regrouping in the North-East, with leaders in Borno raising the alarm, while targeted killings and abductions continue in the South-East. He described the situation as a nationwide collapse of security.

He criticized Tinubu’s retreat abroad as a symbol of poor leadership:

“One wonders what kind of retreat is ongoing in another country France where peace and security have already been achieved by their own leaders, while blood continues to flow in our own country.”

Obi likened the President’s absence to a company CEO missing during a major crisis and stressed that leadership requires presence and urgency.

“Building a new Nigeria is not about individual ambition but about policies that benefit citizens and prioritize their safety and well-being,” he added.

He concluded with a direct appeal to the President:

“I urge Mr President to quickly suspend whatever he is doing in France and rush home to take responsibility by addressing these disturbing issues. That is the New Nigeria that the nation seeks.”

Obi signed off with his familiar refrain: “A New Nigeria is Possible.”