OBI LAMENTS CITIZENS SUFFER WHILE ELECTION TALKS CONTINUE AHEAD OF 2027
Read Time:2 Minute, 35 Second
By: Fasasi Hammad
Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has condemned what he called the growing obsession of Nigeria’s political class with the 2027 general elections, warning that the country is facing a worsening humanitarian and security crisis that requires urgent national attention.
In a statement posted on X on Sunday, Obi described it as “profoundly disturbing” that politicians remain focused on electoral strategies while hundreds of Nigerians are being killed and thousands abducted across the nation.
“While we, the politicians, continue to obsess over the 2027 elections—spending our energy scheming about how to capture, grab, and run the next election—the first two months of 2026 have reportedly seen the killing of over 1,000 Nigerians and the abduction of several thousand others,” he said.
Obi noted that communities across several states continue to suffer violent attacks, leaving families in mourning and forcing residents to flee their homes.
“From Zamfara to Kwara, Ondo, Kebbi, Edo, Benue, Adamawa, Plateau, and many other states, families have buried loved ones, and communities have been emptied by gunshots and fear,” he said.
He added that more than 25 states have already recorded major incidents of violence this year, including kidnappings, mass shootings, village invasions, and attacks on worshippers and travellers.
“In over 25 states across all geopolitical zones this year alone, there have been major violent attacks on innocent citizens, kidnappings by armed bandits, mass shootings, village invasions, and brazen assaults on worshippers and travellers,” Obi said.
Warning that the scale of bloodshed now rivals that of countries officially at war, Obi lamented what he described as a misplaced national focus.
“The scale of bloodshed and number of deaths in just two months in Nigeria are even worse than what we see in countries officially at war. Yet the urgency with which we discuss these tragedies does not match the urgency of our discussions surrounding zoning formulas, party structures, and campaign strategies,” he stated.
He criticized political debates that center on power sharing while citizens struggle with loss and insecurity.
“We debate power sharing while citizens are sharing funeral programmes,” he said.
Recalling a recent attack in Plateau State, Obi described the emotional impact of witnessing mourning families while national discourse remained focused on partisan issues.
“I watched in tears yesterday as families in the Doruwa Babuje community in Plateau State buried their dead after attacks by armed terrorists, but our media and leaders were focused on discussions about party issues and the 2027 elections,” he said.
He called on the country’s political leadership to urgently reassess priorities.
“We strategise about 2027 while Nigerians struggle to survive 2026. This is inhumane. We must elevate human life to a sacred status in our national priorities,” Obi said.
Stressing that true leadership is measured by the protection of lives rather than electoral success, he added:
“Leadership is not about winning elections; it is about saving lives. History will not remember how many strategies we perfected for 2027; it will remember whether we acted when Nigerians were dying. We must choose Nigerian lives over politics. We must put Nigerians first.”
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