Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, has told President Bola Tinubu to “accept the inevitable truth” that Nigeria is now at war following the death of over 100 people during the violent clash between bandits and Zamfara Civilian Protection Guard on Monday.

Obi charged the President to “act decisively”, saying deaths in Nigeria happen more often than in countries at war.

In a statement on Wednesday, the ex-governor of Anambra State said the President needs to stop cutting ribbons, headlining ceremonies on front pages and prioritise “the security of lives over infrastructure projects.”

The statement read in part: “With the brutal killings of over 100 people in Zamfara, including our revered military men, Mr. President, it is time to accept the inevitable truth and act decisively. Nigeria is at war.

“We can no longer afford the dangerous denial. The number of lives lost in Nigeria now mirrors countries at war, and the death in our own country even happens more often than in countries at war.

“We cannot continue like this. It is time to prioritise the security of lives over infrastructure projects. Governance must now become about saving lives, not cutting ribbons and headlining ceremonies on front pages.”

Obi argued that the true measure of leadership is not in the number of roads built or bridges commissioned, but in how many lives are preserved.

With the rising spate of attacks on communities, Obi raised concerns about how many families sleep in peace and how many communities thrive without fear of bandits.

“This is no longer about politics”, he said.

He added that the soul of the country is bleeding, and only true leadership can save it.

(Vanguard)