The Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has claimed that more than 1,000 Nigerians lost their lives while several thousand others were abducted between January and February 2026.
In a statement shared on his X account on Sunday, Obi said the level of insecurity recorded within the first two months of the year surpasses the situation in some countries officially at war.
He decried what he termed the “politics of zero humanity,” accusing political actors of focusing on permutations for the 2027 general elections instead of prioritising citizens’ safety.
“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 governor of Anambra State further alleged that attacks by bandits and terrorist groups have impacted more than 25 states nationwide this year, expressing concern that authorities have not responded with sufficient urgency.
“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.”
Obi also lamented that while political leaders remain preoccupied with negotiations and power-sharing arrangements, citizens across the country continue to mourn their dead. He stressed that governance must place the protection of lives above electoral ambitions.
“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.
