Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has challenged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to account for his administration’s achievements in the past three years, accusing him of lacking the competence and energy to govern Nigeria.

Obi, who spoke on Thursday during a town hall meeting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, urged Nigerians to vote based on competence and capacity to deliver rather than ethnic or regional considerations.

“Let nobody divide the South East. I don’t want the people of Ebonyi to vote for me because I am from the South East. I don’t want you to vote for me because I am an Igbo person,” he said.

He added that Nigerians should support him because of his qualifications and ability to lead the country. Obi challenged Tinubu to visit Abakaliki and explain how his administration had utilised public funds, particularly the money borrowed since assuming office.

“I want President Tinubu to come to Abakaliki to tell the people what he has done in the past three years. I want him to come to Abakaliki to tell you what he used the money he has been borrowing to do,” Obi said.

The former Anambra State governor also criticised Tinubu for spending considerable time outside the country, arguing that the President should be willing to tour Nigeria and account for his stewardship. He claimed that Tinubu had spent more than 260 days outside Nigeria but could not dedicate up to 36 days to visiting Nigerians and explaining his administration’s performance.

“President Tinubu does not have the competence to run Nigeria. He does not have the energy to run Nigeria. He should pack his things, go home and rest,” he declared.

Obi said his administration would declare emergencies in critical sectors, including national unity, security, corruption, education, hunger and healthcare, as part of efforts to address the country’s challenges. He stressed the need to overcome ethnic divisions and build a united Nigeria, promising to uphold the federal character principle in public appointments.

On security, Obi pledged decisive action against insecurity and promised to equip security agencies to protect lives and property. He said his administration would pursue kidnappers and ensure that criminals could not operate with impunity, particularly those abducting schoolchildren.

He also promised to intensify the fight against corruption, insisting that public funds must be used for the benefit of citizens and that anyone found guilty of stealing public money would face the law, including the President. Obi further pledged to reduce the number of out-of-school children, tackle hunger by supporting farmers to increase food production and exports, and establish functional healthcare facilities in every political ward across Nigeria.