Oyo Abduction: Obi Says He Would Have Entered Forest to Rescue Victims If He Were President

• The NDC presidential candidate criticises President Tinubu’s handling of the Oriire school abduction, insisting on decisive leadership and transparency in security operations.

Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) , Peter Obi, has declared that he would have personally entered the forest where pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State were held if he were serving as Nigeria’s president. The former Anambra State governor made the remarks during an interview on Afia TV’s State of the Nation programme aired live on Thursday. The abduction occurred on May 15, 2026, when armed gunmen attacked Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Esiele; and LA Primary School in Ogbomoso, all located in Oriire LGA. Two people were killed during the coordinated attacks, according to the Oyo State Police Command, while no fewer than 45 pupils and teachers were reportedly taken away by the gunmen. The incident forced the Oyo State Government to close schools across four local government areas as security agencies intensified rescue efforts. The victims spent about 56 days in captivity before the Presidency announced on July 10 that they had regained their freedom.

Speaking on the incident, Obi stressed that decisive leadership is crucial in addressing Nigeria’s security challenges, maintaining that he would not have allowed the victims to remain in captivity for weeks under his administration. He insisted that everyone held by the abductors would have been rescued, even if the operation came at a cost. “Days of kidnap of Oyo children. The president did not call the governor. What do you mean? Fifty days. But I’ll be there in two days. Is the bush not in Nigeria? That bush they went in. The bush is in Nigeria. Everybody in that bush will come out. Everybody. There might be casualties, but everybody will come out,” Obi said. He further criticised what he described as the secrecy surrounding security operations in Nigeria, arguing that authorities should publicly demonstrate results after arresting criminal suspects. “And it is time when we say we resolve something. We arrest some people. Parade the people. Let people see them. What is happening? When America or other countries kill people like that, they parade them. They show it. Everybody sees it. In Nigeria, everything is shrouded in secrecy,” he added.

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Recalling his tenure as Anambra governor, Obi said he confronted criminal activities in forests across the state by taking direct action after consulting then-President Olusegun Obasanjo. He said he informed Obasanjo that a particular forest had become a security threat and insisted that criminal elements operating there had to be driven out. Obi also mentioned several notorious criminals who, according to him, were killed during security operations in Anambra while he was governor. He stressed that effective leadership required clear authority and personal responsibility. “No way. It’s either I’m in charge or you people are in charge. I go home. One person must be in charge. And if you’re in charge, if you want to lead, you should be ready to die. If you don’t want to, you go home. One must be in charge,” Obi said.

Obi faulted President Bola Tinubu’s handling of the abduction, claiming the President failed to personally reach out to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde throughout the more than 50-day ordeal. He had earlier, in a post on his X handle on July 5, alleged that more than 50 days after the incident, President Tinubu had neither contacted Governor Makinde to express sympathy nor discussed efforts to secure the release of the abducted pupils. He had also called on President Tinubu to either resign from office or abandon any plan to seek re-election in 2027, accusing him of failing to demonstrate leadership following the abduction. Drawing a comparison with the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls abduction, Obi recalled that Tinubu was among those who criticised then-President Goodluck Jonathan for delaying contact with the affected governor. “I vividly recall that the current President, Bola Tinubu, led a team of vocal critics who called for President Jonathan’s immediate resignation over the incident, citing his delay in calling the state governor. That call for immediate resignation should actually be the case in this matter,” Obi wrote. Obi further alleged that more than 13 school kidnappings had occurred since Tinubu assumed office and questioned why the President had not personally engaged the governor of the affected state more than seven weeks after the latest abduction. He disclosed that he visited Ibadan on July 3 alongside Professor Pat Utomi to express solidarity with Governor Makinde, during which he learned that the governor had not received any call from the President. “I cannot imagine any issue more important than the lives of our kidnapped children, their teachers and the many other Nigerians being held captive across the country. It is now an indisputable fact that governance has completely collapsed under this administration,” he stated.

President Tinubu, speaking on July 30 while receiving a delegation of traditional rulers from Oyo State led by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, explained why the Federal Government refused to negotiate with the terrorists. He said security agencies understood the terrain where the victims were held and commended the armed forces for securing the release of the abducted victims. “We refused to pay ransom. We have the geography of the forest. We know what it is,” the President said. He also disclosed that the military was expanding its operational capacity by increasing the number of divisions from eight to 12 to reduce response time and strengthen efforts against insecurity. The President also confirmed that eight of the kidnappers were arrested during the operation, while several others were neutralised.

The rescue operation, which involved the military, police, intelligence agencies and local vigilante groups, took about a month to execute and resulted in the safe return of all 44 victims. The military acknowledged that some of its personnel were killed during the operation. The rescued victims were taken to an undisclosed hospital for medical treatment. Rachael Folawe Alamu, headteacher of Community Grammar School, spoke about the 56-day ordeal she and other teachers and students faced while in captivity deep in the bush, being frequently moved by the kidnappers at night and often walking for several hours. She described how two of her male colleagues were killed by the kidnappers—one soon after their abduction and another in June. “They killed them purposely because they thought it would force the hand of the government to provide them whatever they wanted,” she said. Three men were later sentenced to life imprisonment after pleading guilty to concealing information about the kidnappers and confessing to being members of an affiliate of Boko Haram. Governor Makinde also inaugurated an eight-man Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the abduction to establish the facts, identify any institutional lapses, and recommend measures to strengthen the protection of schools.

Oyo Abduction: Obi Says He Would Have Entered Forest to Rescue Victims If He Were President

PDP Crisis Deepens as Faction Submits Jonathan’s Name to INEC for 2027 Presidential Election

• The Turaki-led faction insists on manual submission, while INEC rejects the move and the main PDP leadership dismisses it as “illegal and worthless.”

A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has submitted the name of former President Goodluck Jonathan to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, escalating the lingering leadership crisis within Nigeria’s main opposition party.

The group, operating under the Interim National Working Committee (INWC) headed by Kabiru Turaki (SAN) , said the submission was made in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 after what it described as difficulties encountered in accessing the electronic submission platform. Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday night, the faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, said the party forwarded Jonathan’s name alongside those of governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly candidates across the country. According to him, the submission was done manually after the faction allegedly failed to receive the necessary electronic access codes from INEC.

“Notwithstanding INEC’s refusal to provide us with the necessary access codes, we have successfully submitted, manually and in full compliance with the Electoral Act 2026, the list of candidates sponsored by the authentic Peoples Democratic Party,” Ememobong said. He maintained that the faction remains the legitimate leadership of the PDP, arguing that previous court decisions created a vacuum in the party’s national leadership structure. Ememobong said the development led to the establishment of an interim leadership arrangement by the party’s Board of Trustees and a National Executive Committee meeting convened through member requisition.

The spokesman disclosed that the faction had approached the Federal High Court in Abuja after INEC allegedly declined to recognise the interim leadership despite receiving formal notifications regarding its emergence. He also faulted a recent judgment delivered by Justice Salim Oluwasupo Ibrahim, insisting that the ruling was inconsistent with earlier decisions of superior courts. “The judgment reads more like an appeal on the judgments of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal,” he stated. Ememobong said the faction had already challenged the ruling at the Court of Appeal and expressed confidence that the appellate court would overturn the decision.

The PDP faction accused INEC of failing to remain neutral in matters relating to the opposition party. Ememobong claimed that the commission had repeatedly ignored facts and court orders which he said were favourable to the faction. “The Commission’s filings, its arguments before the courts and its refusal to comply with court orders favourable to our Party have collectively created an impression of institutional bias that should concern every Nigerian,” he said.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has dismissed the faction’s claim of a valid submission. INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Ita-Messi, stated that political parties are required to submit candidates’ names electronically through the commission’s designated portal. “Submission is only done on a dedicated portal as stipulated by our regulations and guidelines please,” Ita-Messi said. She questioned how the faction could claim to have successfully submitted candidates after alleging it was denied access to the commission’s electronic platform.

The main PDP leadership, backed by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and led by Abdulraham Mohammed, has rejected the purported submission, describing the move as “illegal and worthless” . The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, said only a legally recognised leadership with authorised access to INEC’s candidate nomination portal could submit names on behalf of the PDP. He urged Jonathan to publicly distance himself from the faction, warning that his silence could be interpreted as approval. “It is just wishful thinking, and the most unfortunate thing about the whole of this charade is how a respected former president of this country, Goodluck Jonathan, has allowed himself to be ridiculed by this group of recalcitrant and disloyal citizens of this country,” Mohammed stated. He argued that INEC did not prescribe any manual way of submitting a list of candidates, questioning whether the purported candidates emerged from valid primaries monitored by INEC.

The development places the PDP leadership dispute at the centre of the 2027 election preparations. The rival PDP camp has already submitted Senator Sandy Onor as its presidential candidate, while the Turaki-led faction insists on Jonathan’s candidacy. The Turaki-led faction has warned that if INEC publishes names different from those it submitted, it would reinforce public concerns about the commission’s impartiality. The group has vowed to pursue all legal and constitutional avenues to ensure its candidates are recognised.

However, former President Jonathan has not publicly commented on the development as of the time of filing this report. The faction had ratified Jonathan as its candidate on 30 May for the January 2027 presidential election, but the former president has yet to comment on his choice since then. His silence has raised questions about whether he actually accepts the nomination or is distancing himself from the faction’s actions.

PDP Crisis Deepens as Faction Submits Jonathan’s Name to INEC for 2027 Presidential Election

Where Will Peter Obi’s Votes Come From? I Can’t See It – Keyamo Predicts Tinubu’s Landslide Victory

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has predicted that President Bola Tinubu will defeat opposition leaders Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi in the 2027 presidential election, describing the contest as more of a “coronation” than an election. Keyamo made the declaration during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he expressed confidence that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) would comfortably retain power in the next general election. The minister’s remarks came shortly after he accused Obi of lying over claims of political harassment at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport—a dispute that has dominated public discourse in recent weeks.

Responding to a question on whether he could confidently ask Nigerians to vote for President Tinubu and the APC again, Keyamo said the government’s achievements had already earned the support of many Nigerians. He pointed to recent electoral victories as evidence of the party’s dominance, stating, “Everybody in the world has attested to the facts. To be honest, nobody can say all of it now. But we won in Ekiti. We told them to vote and they voted. In the FCT, they voted. We won already.” When the interviewer pointed out that Peter Obi—the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate—would be on the ballot in 2027 and asked what gave him confidence of victory, Keyamo dismissed Obi’s electoral chances with a rhetorical question. “I’m looking around. Between you and me, where will Obi’s votes come from? I can’t see it,” he said. Even after the interviewer suggested that many Nigerians might disagree with his assessment, the minister maintained his position, repeating, “I don’t see where it will come from.”

Asked whether former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar posed a major challenge to the APC, the minister brushed aside the suggestion with laughter. “Which Atiku? Nightmare who?” he retorted. Keyamo then made a bold prediction about the outcome of the election, urging his audience not to misinterpret his confidence. “I want to make a profound closing statement. Not out of arrogance. Not out of overconfidence. But out of pure demographic calculations. The 2027 election is a coronation, not an election. I repeat, don’t take me out of context. Out of pure demographic calculations, it’s a coronation,” he declared. When the interviewer asked whether he was implying that the election would be rigged, Keyamo rejected the suggestion, insisting that his comments were based solely on electoral demographics. “You see yourself. You heard what I said. Demographic calculations. You are taking it somewhere else. I didn’t say that,” he responded. As the interview drew to a close, the minister ended the exchange in pidgin, delivering a cryptic warning to the opposition. “I don tey with una, no dey worry me like this… Everywhere go blur. Everywhere go blur.” He also added, “Jungle is about to be mature, eh? Very well. Everywhere go blur for them.”

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Keyamo’s latest remarks came shortly after he accused Peter Obi of lying over claims that he was harassed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. During the same television interview, the minister criticised the interviewer for not confronting Obi over the allegation during an earlier interview with the opposition politician. According to Keyamo, CCTV footage from the airport contradicted Obi’s claims that his vehicle was unfairly clamped because of his opposition status. The minister detailed that Obi arrived at the airport’s domestic terminal on July 4, 2026, at about 8:28 p.m. in a vehicle driven by a police officer. He said the driver parked in a designated drop-off zone and left the vehicle unattended for about 30 minutes in a restricted area, in violation of airport regulations. Keyamo maintained that airport workers acted professionally and had no knowledge that the vehicle belonged to Obi when they carried out the enforcement action. He also alleged that when the driver discovered the clamp, Obi spoke with an airport manager and requested the vehicle’s release, which was granted without payment of the prescribed ₦25,000 fine, describing the incident as “influence peddling.” During the interview, Keyamo described Obi’s claims as false, stating, “Then I saw the man was lying. He lies like a fish drinking water. He lies. He lies for fun.” The minister had earlier demanded that the former Anambra State governor apologise to airport personnel and pay the ₦25,000 parking fine, warning that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) could take further action if the demands were ignored.

The Obidient Movement has strongly rejected Keyamo’s account, accusing the minister of releasing “poorly edited propaganda” and manipulating CCTV footage to discredit Obi. The group argued that the timestamps in Keyamo’s own footage show Obi’s vehicle arriving at 20:28 and being clamped at approximately 20:34—six minutes, not thirty. According to the movement, “The timestamps show the vehicle arriving at 20:28 and being clamped at approximately 20:34. That is six minutes, not thirty.” It further alleged that the minister deliberately zoomed in on the seconds display of the CCTV footage in an attempt to create the impression that viewers were looking at the minute counter, describing the exercise as misleading. The group also stated that Keyamo’s own footage contradicted his allegation that Peter Obi’s vehicle blocked the airport terminal entrance, stressing that another vehicle was seen pulling up behind it without any obstruction. It maintained that the video supported Peter Obi’s earlier claim that other vehicles were parked in the same area, alleging that enforcement officers singled out only the opposition leader’s vehicle. Obi’s spokesman, Idris Zekeri Jnr, also challenged Keyamo’s reference to a “police driver,” stating that Peter Obi does not have any police or civil defence personnel attached to him in Abuja. He said the incident contained in Keyamo’s post was not the one Obi narrated publicly, suggesting a pattern of targeting the opposition figure.

Meanwhile, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Salihu Moh Lukman, has warned that continued divisions and personal ambitions among opposition leaders could hand President Tinubu and the APC another electoral victory in 2027. Lukman identified Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as prominent opposition figures whose individual presidential ambitions could weaken efforts to unseat the ruling party. “Lack of unity among the opposition was largely responsible for the electoral victory of APC. The same reality is manifesting itself again with the same two leading opposition personalities emerging as candidates against President Tinubu,” Lukman said. “If truly their objective is about defeating APC and President Tinubu, why are they unable to recognise that once they are divided, it is as good as conceding electoral victory to APC and President Tinubu?”

Where Will Peter Obi’s Votes Come From? I Can’t See It – Keyamo Predicts Tinubu’s Landslide Victory