The 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has called on President Bola Tinubu to retire from office ahead of the next general election.

Mr Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, has argued that the president is “tired” and no longer possesses the capacity to resolve Nigeria’s deteriorating economic and security challenges. The NDC candidate made these remarks on Sunday night during his appearance as a guest on Channels TV’s Sunday Politics.

The former governor contended that while Mr Tinubu may have performed effectively as governor of Lagos State, his current leadership has failed to address the nation’s escalating crises.

“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,” Mr Obi stated.

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‘Nigeria heading in the wrong direction’

Mr Obi asserted that Nigeria is “headed in the wrong direction” and requires a leader with the energy and commitment to rescue 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 said.

The NDC candidate also challenged Mr Tinubu to cease communicating with Nigerians exclusively 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.”

‘Discuss Nigeria’s problems, not me’

Mr Obi expressed surprise that some politicians appear on radio and television stations to discuss him personally rather than the country’s mounting challenges.

“The World Bank has stated that 79 per cent 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 remarked.

“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.”

The NDC presidential candidate also referenced food insecurity, noting that millions of Nigerians face hunger. “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 is struggling with insecurity

Mr Obi contended that rising poverty levels partly drive Nigeria’s struggle to overcome insecurity. The former governor stressed that combating insecurity requires tackling its underlying economic causes, particularly widespread poverty and poor access to education.

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

‘I am desperate to see Nigeria work’

Mr Obi reiterated his frequent remarks that he is not desperate to become Nigeria’s president.

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

The NDC candidate criticised Mr Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, insisting that the president’s vision has failed. When asked if his vision of rebuilding Nigeria’s economy through production resembled the president’s agenda, the former Anambra governor rejected the comparison.

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

Mr Obi stressed that Nigerians need “real hope” built on visible and measurable progress rather than political statements. “The kind of hope I will bring is real hope—tangible hope that people will see and feel,” he concluded.