‘Pack Your Bags and Go Home,’ Peter Obi Tells Tinubu
Peter Obi has challenged President Bola Tinubu to leave office, accusing him of lacking the competence and energy needed to lead Nigeria amid mounting national challenges.
The presidential hopeful of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) made the remarks on Thursday during a town hall meeting in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, where he criticised the President’s leadership.
Obi argued that Nigeria needed a leader capable of addressing its problems rather than making excuses for the country’s difficulties.
“President Tinubu does not have the competence to run Nigeria. He does not have the energy to run Nigeria. He should pack his things, go home and rest,” Obi said.
The former Anambra State governor also challenged Tinubu to explain his administration’s achievements over the past three years, particularly how funds borrowed by the Federal Government had been utilised.
“I want him to come to Abakaliki to tell the people what he has done in the past three years. I want him to tell Nigerians what he used the borrowed money to do,” he added.
Obi further criticised the President’s foreign travels, claiming that Tinubu had spent more than 260 days outside Nigeria but could not dedicate 36 days to touring the country and explaining his administration’s performance to citizens.
He insisted that Nigerian voters deserved accountability from their leaders and an opportunity to assess the government’s record.
Addressing ethnic politics, Obi urged residents of Ebonyi State and other South-East communities not to support his presidential ambition simply because he is Igbo.
He maintained that his candidacy should be judged by his qualifications, leadership capacity and ability to govern the country effectively.
“Let nobody divide the South East. I don’t want the people of Ebonyi to vote for me because I am from the South East. I don’t want you to vote for me because I am an Igbo person,” he said.
Obi described competence as the principal consideration for choosing Nigeria’s next president, urging voters to look beyond ethnic affiliations when making political decisions.
The NDC presidential hopeful also presented a seven-point emergency agenda, outlining measures he said would address Nigeria’s security, education, healthcare, corruption, food production and national unity challenges.
On security, Obi promised a tougher response to kidnapping and other threats, pledging to strengthen security agencies and improve their capacity to protect citizens.
“If children are taken to the bush under my watch, we will be in the bush with the abductors. We will equip our security agencies to secure Nigeria,” he declared.
He also promised an aggressive anti-corruption campaign, insisting that public resources must serve citizens rather than private interests.
“I will fight corruption like nobody has done before. Public money must be for public good. If you steal, you will go to jail, starting from the President,” Obi said.
On education, the former governor proposed declaring a state of emergency in the sector, citing the country’s more than 18 million out-of-school children as a major national concern.
He also outlined plans to strengthen agriculture by encouraging farmers to return to their farms, increase domestic food production and expand agricultural exports.
Obi said Nigeria possessed sufficient arable land to improve food availability and strengthen its agricultural economy.
On healthcare, he promised functional facilities across the country’s political wards, arguing that Nigeria had the resources required to provide accessible medical services.
“Every political ward in Nigeria must have functional healthcare. We have the resources to do it,” he said.
Meanwhile, the NDC leader in Ebonyi State and former governor, Senator Samuel Egwu, expressed confidence in Obi’s political prospects, assuring him of the state’s support.
Other dignitaries at the meeting included the party’s governorship candidate, Chief Paulinus Igwe Nwagu; Senator Linus Okorie, representing Ebonyi South; Professor Bernard Odoh, the Ebonyi Central senatorial candidate; and Hon. Nnanna Chita, the party’s House of Representatives candidate for Ohanivo, alongside other party candidates.
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