Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate for the 2027 election, Peter Obi, on Monday called on President Bola Tinubu to follow the example of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and step down from office.Â
He cited the administration’s alleged failure to meet the expectations of Nigerians amid deepening economic and social challenges.
The demand was swiftly rebuffed by the Presidency, which dismissed the call as childish, misplaced, and undemocratic, maintaining that Tinubu was elected through a constitutional process and remained committed to delivering on his mandate.
The exchange unfolded against the backdrop of Starmer’s announcement on Monday that he would be stepping down as leader of the governing Labour Party in the United Kingdom, with Andy Burnham, widely regarded as the party’s most popular politician, declaring his intention to seek the prime ministerial role and swiftly securing the backing of a potential rival.
Responding to the development in the UK, Obi, in a post on social media titled “Owning Up to Leadership Failures and Political Responsibility,” urged Tinubu to take a cue from the outgoing British leader and spare Nigeria from a further deterioration of its economic condition, having, in Obi’s assessment, fallen short on key electoral commitments.
The former Anambra State governor drew a historical parallel, noting that Tinubu had, in the past, called on the then-President Goodluck Jonathan to resign when his administration appeared unable to meet public expectations, and urged the current president to apply that same standard to himself.
He noted that Starmer’s planned resignation came against a backdrop of growing public anger over a sluggish economy, a deepening cost-of-living crisis, and a perception that the government had failed to honour core campaign pledge conditions he said mirrored the situation in Nigeria.
Casting his mind back to the period before 2015, Obi recalled that Tinubu had on several occasions championed the call for Jonathan to resign over economic hardship and insecurity.
He specifically cited the Chibok school k!dnap incident, during which Tinubu reportedly demanded Jonathan’s immediate resignation, arguing that the government had failed in its most basic duty of protecting lives.
The Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate also took direct aim at Tinubu’s failure to deliver on his promise of reliable electricity supply, reminding Nigerians that the president had, during the 2023 campaign, challenged the electorate not to re-elect him if he did not fulfil his commitments particularly on stable power, anti-corruption efforts, and improving citizens’ welfare.
Obi argued that far from improving, conditions across these areas had worsened since Tinubu assumed office.
He said electricity supply remained unreliable, insecurity has intensified across many states, and economic hardship has deepened rather than eased. He added that other critical sectors, including infrastructure, transportation, and security, have similarly regressed.
“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,” he stated.
Obi maintained that such a step would also signal to future leaders that public office is a sacred trust, not an entitlement, and that failure in governance carries consequences. He insisted that ending the culture of impunity was the only path to building a better society for future generations.
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