Peter Obi urges President Bola Tinubu to resign over insecurity and alleged N8.83 trillion off‑budget spending

Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi has repeatedly called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to step down. Obi says the federal government has failed to address the country’s worsening insecurity, citing the abduction of schoolchildren in Oyo State that has remained unresolved for more than 50 days and noting that the president has not contacted Oyo Governor Seyi Makinde about the incident. He also condemned the administration’s handling of the security crisis, comparing it to past kidnappings such as the 2014 Chibok girls case.

Obi further criticised Tinubu’s economic stewardship after the International Monetary Fund disclosed that about N8.83 trillion in public expenditure in 2025 was not reflected in the national budget. He described the figure – roughly 2 % of Nigeria’s GDP and over 35 % of the 2025 capital budget – as “grand corruption” that threatens national security. Obi quoted the IMF report: “The IMF now reveals that about N8.83 trillion in expenditure undertaken in 2025 is not reflected in the budget. This is horrible.” He argued that the unaccounted funds could have transformed health and education sectors and warned that the pattern of fiscal mismanagement endangers the nation’s stability. Obi reiterated that his demand for Tinubu’s resignation is driven by incompetence, lack of compassion, failure to fulfil campaign promises, and the growing corruption scandal.