Editorial: Oyo Abduction and the Politics of Silence

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC)

Editorial: Oyo Abduction and the Politics of Silence

The recent abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State has once again thrown Nigeria’s security failures into sharp relief.

More than fifty days after the incident, Governor Seyi Makinde reportedly told Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), that President Bola Tinubu had not reached out to him to express sympathy or offer support.

This revelation has fueled Obi’s renewed call for Tinubu to resign or refrain from seeking re-election, citing what he describes as incompetence and a lack of compassion.

Obi’s criticism is not without historical context. He reminded Nigerians that during the Chibok girls’ abduction under President Goodluck Jonathan, Tinubu himself was among the loudest voices demanding Jonathan’s resignation for his delayed response.

Obi argues that the same standard should now apply to Tinubu, given that at least thirteen school abductions have occurred under his administration without direct communication from the presidency to affected governors.

The former governor of Anambra State frames his call as patriotic rather than political, insisting that the lives of kidnapped children and teachers should be the nation’s foremost priority. He contends that governance has “completely collapsed” under Tinubu’s watch 16.

The presidency, however, has pushed back. Bayo Onanuga, a presidential spokesperson, dismissed Obi’s demand as misplaced, arguing that Tinubu inherited longstanding security challenges but has made measurable progress through intensified military operations.

He cited the rescue of hundreds of kidnapped victims and the neutralisation of more than 15,000 terrorists as evidence of progress. Onanuga also accused Obi of hypocrisy, pointing to his own record as governor of Anambra, which he described as a failure in securing lives and property.

This clash underscores a deeper issue: the politicisation of insecurity in Nigeria. While Obi’s call resonates with citizens frustrated by recurring kidnappings and government inaction, the presidency’s defense highlights the difficulty of balancing inherited crises with current accountability.

The Oyo abduction is not just another tragic headline; it is a test of leadership, empathy, and the standards by which Nigerian leaders are judged.

In the end, the debate is less about partisan rivalry and more about the moral responsibility of governance. Whether Tinubu resigns or not, the silence in the face of such tragedies speaks volumes.

For a nation weary of insecurity, words of sympathy may not solve the crisis, but their absence deepens the perception of abandonment. And in politics, perception often carries as much weight as reality.