By Nkiruka Nnorom, with agency reports

United States would closely watch Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, warning that Washington’s security and financial support would be tied to issues of religious freedom and conduct of the polls. 

US Congressman, Riley Moore, a Republican representing West Virginia, disclosed this in an interview with NoireTV yesterday.

Responding to questions on Nigeria’s next elections, Moore said the conduct of the polls was now a priority for Washington. 

“What I’d say is that we’re certainly going to be watching these results and how these elections unfold and how they’re executed. And that’s something that myself and the administration are going to be paying very close attention to,” he stated. 

Moore revealed that the US House of Representatives was considering an appropriations bill with strong and aggressive language on Nigeria. 

“We’re working on Chris Smith’s bill, which obviously I’m a co-sponsor. But I’d say, more importantly, is the appropriations bill that we’re going to have on the floor,” the lawmaker said. According to him, the bill contains provisions on “the persecution of Christians and restrictions on security assistance to the government of Nigeria, and steps they have to take.

“That bill’s likely to become law. We’re about to, hopefully, pass that. And so there’s some pretty strong and aggressive language in that bill that’s going to be binding as it relates to our relationship to Nigeria moving forward.’’

The congressman said he remained in direct engagement with the Trump administration on Nigeria and would raise the issues again at a scheduled dinner with the President. 

“I continue to work with the administration on next steps that we’re going to take. I’m actually going to see President Trump tonight. 

‘’I’ll be having dinner with him and some other members, so yeah, I continue to talk to him about these issues, and it’s very important to him,” Moore said.

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has called on President Bola Tinubu to either resign or abandon any plans to seek re-election in 2027, citing the worsening insecurity across the country.

In a statement released on Monday, Obi expressed concern over the continued captivity of schoolchildren abducted in Oyo State more than 50 days ago.

Following a visit to Governor Seyi Makinde, he said the prolonged delay in rescuing the victims reflects a failure of leadership and governance.

The former Anambra governor revealed that he was surprised to learn that President Tinubu had allegedly not contacted Makinde over the abduction.

Obi said previous presidents, including Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan, regularly reached out to state governors during major security crises.

The ultimate cost of uncompassionate leadership, as evident in the country today, is turning citizens’ frustration into deep, volatile resentment.

“It is even more traumatising when the leader presiding over that collapse demonstrates clear incapacity and a lack of compassion.

“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 said.

Drawing a comparison with the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction, Obi noted that Tinubu was among those who criticised Jonathan’s handling of the incident, He argued that several school kidnappings have occurred under the current administration, yet there has been little visible presidential engagement.

According to Obi, the continued abductions and insecurity across the country demonstrate a lack of capacity and compassion on the part of the Federal Government.

He insisted that, in the interest of Nigerians, Tinubu should either step down or shelve any ambition of seeking a second term in office.

By Ayobami Okerinde

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2027 election, Peter Obi, has claimed that Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde told him President Bola Tinubu had not contacted him more than 50 days after the abduction of schoolchildren in the state, describing the development as evidence of a worsening leadership crisis.

In a post on X on Monday titled “Worsening Leadership Crisis in the Country Now Evident”, Obi criticised the president’s handling of insecurity, accusing the administration of lacking compassion and capacity.

Obi said he had publicly appealed twice to the kidnappers to release the children and had also spoken with Governor Makinde twice to express solidarity, describing the incident as “a Nigerian tragedy” rather than an Oyo State problem.

He wrote, “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.

“Since this unfortunate incident, I have spoken publicly about it twice, including appealing directly to the kidnappers to release the children. I also called the Governor twice to assure him of my solidarity, understanding that this issue is not just an Oyo problem but a Nigerian tragedy.”

The former Anambra State governor said that on Friday, July 3, he visited Ibadan alongside economist Prof. Pat Utomi to meet with Makinde and discuss the security situation.

During the meeting, Obi said he shared his experience of managing insecurity while serving as governor of Anambra State, recalling that former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan regularly contacted governors whenever major security challenges arose.

He said he was surprised to learn from Makinde that the Oyo governor had not received a single phone call from President Tinubu since the schoolchildren were abducted.

“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 wrote.

Drawing a comparison with the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction, Obi recalled that Tinubu was among those who criticised then-President Goodluck Jonathan for taking more than two weeks to contact the affected state 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,” he wrote.

“Today, under President Tinubu, there have been more than 13 school kidnappings, yet the President has found it difficult to call the affected state’s chief executive after more than 50 days (over 7 weeks). This is outrageous. I suspect the same may also have been the case in other school kidnapping incidents.”

“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 concluded by calling on the president to either resign or decline to seek a second term in office.

Amid such an apparent display of incompetence, the president should either resign or, at the very least, abstain from seeking re-election for the sake of our dear country. This call is patriotic, not political,” Obi said.