The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has claimed that more than 1,000 Nigerians were killed and thousands more abducted between January and February of 2026.
In a post via X on Sunday, Obi said the scale of violence across the country is worse than that of nations officially at war.
He criticised what he described as the “politics of zero humanity” in the country, accusing political leaders of prioritising 2027 election calculations over the safety of Nigerians.
“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.
“This is the painful reality confronting our nation. 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.”
The former Anambra State governor alleged that more than 25 states across the country had been affected by attacks carried out by bandits and other terrorist groups, lamenting that the crisis had yet to receive the necessary attention from the relevant authorities.
“In over 25 states across all geopolitical zones this year alone, there have been major violent attacks on innocent citizens, kidnappings by armed bandits, mass shootings, village invasions, and brazen 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 stated.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain noted with dismay that while leaders were engrossed in debates about power sharing, Nigerians were busy sharing funeral programmes.
Obi stressed the need for authorities to elevate human life to what he described as “sacred status in our national priorities”, cautioning that leadership is not about winning elections but saving lives.
“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.”
“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.
“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.” Obi added.
