A former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has said that the abduction of some Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidates in Benue State is proof of failed leadership.

Mr Obi accused President Bola Tinubu of projecting strength and power to rig the forthcoming elections while rampaging terrorists slaughter and abduct innocent Nigerians.

Mr Obi’s statement came hours after suspected gunmen ambushed a commercial bus along the Makurdi-Otukpo Road and reportedly kidnapped several UTME candidates and other passengers on Thursday.

In a statement shared on X on Friday, Mr Obi said, “The news of the abduction of innocent UTME candidates in Benue State is not just heartbreaking but a damning indictment of the failure of leadership and the collapse of security in our nation.

“Young Nigerians striving for an education are being met with terror. In a country where the share of tertiary graduates is already painfully low (about 1%), which is far below peers like Indonesia (about 13%) and South Africa (around 10%). This is unacceptable. We cannot afford to lose even one more student to violence.”

Mr Obi said those entrusted with protecting Nigerians appeared preoccupied with the next election.

“Those entrusted with protecting these young students appear increasingly preoccupied with the next election, projecting strength and power to rig elections, rather than deploying that same power and agencies to secure our roads, prevent these crimes, and rescue the abducted children who should not be in the hands of criminals but in examination halls,” Mr Obi said.

The former governor of Anambra state said the abduction of the candidates “is no longer an isolated tragedy. It is a pattern. It is a national crisis. And it demands urgent, decisive, and responsible action, not excuses, not silence, but leadership that matches the scale of the emergency this deserves.”

The presidency could not be reached for comment on Mr Obi’s criticism.