Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticised Nigerian political leaders for fixating on 2027 election strategies while insecurity worsens across the country.
In a statement posted on his X handle on Sunday, Obi said the first two months of 2026 had reportedly seen the killing of over 1,000 Nigerians and the abduction of several others.
“It is profoundly disturbing that 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.
He described the situation as a painful reality confronting the nation, citing incidents in Zamfara, Kwara, and Plateau states, among others.
“From Zamfara State 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 stated.
Obi said that in over 25 states across all geopolitical zones this year, there had been major violent attacks on innocent citizens, kidnappings by armed bandits, mass shootings, village invasions, and assaults on worshippers and travellers.
“The scale of bloodshed and the 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 said.
He added, “We debate power sharing while citizens are sharing funeral programs. 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, when we aren’t even sure we will be alive to see it, given all the deaths happening in our country today. We strategise about 2027 while Nigerians struggle to survive 2026. This is inhumane.”
The former Anambra State governor said leadership should prioritise the protection of lives over electoral considerations.
“We must elevate human life to a sacred status in our national priorities. Leadership is not about winning elections; it is about saving lives.
“We can, and we must, aspire to a Nigeria devoid of bloodshed—a Nigeria where governance is measured not by political dominance but by the safety and dignity of its people,” he said.
Obi stressed that history would judge leaders by their response to the crisis.
“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,” he added.
The statement comes against a backdrop of persistent security challenges in Nigeria’s northwest and north-central regions, where armed bandit groups, kidnappers, and terrorists continue to carry out deadly raids.
Recent incidents include a February attack in Zamfara State’s Tungan Dutse village, where gunmen on motorcycles killed at least 50 people and abducted women and children, according to local authorities and media reports.
Similar violence has been documented in Plateau and other states, contributing to mass displacement and widespread fear.