Peter Obi, the 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has sharply criticised President Bola Tinubu’s handling of the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State, claiming the president has not contacted Governor Seyi Makinde more than 50 days after the incident.

In a post on X on Monday titled “Worsening Leadership Crisis in the Country Now Evident,” Obi described the situation as evidence of a deepening leadership crisis, accusing the federal government of lacking compassion and effective capacity to address insecurity.

The abduction occurred on May 15, 2026, when armed gunmen attacked multiple schools in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State, taking away dozens of pupils (including very young children) and teachers. The victims remain in captivity as of early July.

Obi said he has spoken publicly about the incident twice, including direct appeals to the kidnappers for the children’s release. He also revealed that he contacted Governor Makinde twice to express solidarity, emphasising that the tragedy is a national issue rather than one confined to Oyo State.

“The government and people of Oyo State, more than 50 days after the abduction of the schoolchildren without any tangible effort toward their rescue, should rightly feel bitter and abandoned,” Obi wrote.

On Friday, July 3, Obi visited Ibadan alongside economist Prof. Pat Utomi to meet with Governor Makinde and discuss the security situation. During the meeting, Obi shared lessons from his time as governor of Anambra State, where he managed insecurity challenges. He noted that past presidents — Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, and Goodluck Jonathan — routinely engaged directly with state governors during major security incidents.

To his shock, Obi said Makinde informed him that President Tinubu had not reached out even once since the abduction.

“But, to my utmost shock, I discovered that, contrary to my assumption that they had been in regular communication over the matter, Governor Seyi Makinde had not received a single call from President Bola Tinubu,” Obi stated.

Obi drew parallels with the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction, recalling that Tinubu, then in opposition, had criticised President Jonathan for taking more than two weeks to contact the affected governor.

The comments come amid broader concerns over recurring school abductions in parts of Nigeria, with the Oyo incident highlighting the spread of such violence to the southwest. Obi has used the episode to question the Tinubu administration’s approach to national security.

No immediate response from the presidency was reported as of Monday.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will introduce downloadable Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for voters who have lost or damaged their original cards as part of efforts to modernise Nigeria’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Wednesday while receiving the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, during a courtesy visit to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

Amupitan explained that the downloadable PVC option would only be available to voters who had previously collected their physical PVCs but later lost or damaged them. He clarified that the initiative would not apply to first-time registrants who had never obtained a physical card.

According to him, eligible voters must report the loss or damage of their PVCs to INEC at least 90 days before an election to enable the commission to process the replacement.

The INEC Chairman also announced that the commission plans to pilot the downloadable PVC technology during the Osun State off-cycle governorship election scheduled for August.

He further revealed that INEC was finalising work on a new technology that would enable eligible Nigerians to complete voter registration entirely online without visiting INEC offices for physical biometric capture.

Amupitan said the online registration platform would be tested in the coming days once it receives the commission’s approval.

He noted that the technological innovations are aimed at expanding access to voter registration, reducing disenfranchisement, and making the electoral process more convenient for eligible citizens.