Peter Obi, the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to resign, urging him to follow the example of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Obi said Tinubu has failed to fulfill most of his campaign promises, especially those aimed at improving the lives of Nigerians.
On Monday, Starmer announced he would step down as Labour Party leader, allowing a new prime minister to take office before Parliament returns in September. He said he accepted his party’s judgment on his leadership and no longer believed he was the right person to lead Labour into the next general election.
Reacting in a statement on his X account titled “Owning Up to Leadership Failures and Political Responsibility”, Obi urged Tinubu to show similar accountability as Nigeria battles a worsening economy.
He wrote: “This morning, I listened to the British Prime Minister’s speech announcing his planned resignation in July. As a keen observer of global politics, my primary interest lies in examining what successful nations do right and the structural factors that cause others to lag or struggle with governance and development.
“The Prime Minister’s planned resignation comes amid mounting public frustration over a stagnant economy, a worsening cost-of-living crisis, and a perceived failure to honor key campaign pledges.”
Obi also recalled that before 2015, Tinubu had repeatedly urged then-President Goodluck Jonathan to resign over insecurity and economic hardship.
He noted: “Before 2015, our President on several occasions championed the call for then-President Goodluck Jonathan to resign over economic hardship and insecurity affecting Nigerians.
“During the Chibok school kidnapping incident, he demanded the immediate resignation of President Jonathan, arguing that the government had failed in its most fundamental duty of protecting lives.”
Obi argued that key sectors have declined under the current administration and insisted that public office should come with consequences for poor performance.
He added, “I, therefore, join Nigerians of goodwill in calling for the resignation of the President over monumental failure in governance. Such a gesture would help enthrone a political culture rooted in accountability and responsibility, rather than further entrenching impunity.
“It would also send a powerful message that public office is a sacred trust, not an entitlement, and help build a society in which future leaders understand that failure carries consequences. Only by ending the culture of impunity can we secure a better future for the society our children will inherit in a New Nigeria that is possible.”
