Deputy Minority Leader Urges Buhari to Respect Obasanjo’s Views on State of the Nation

Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Toby Okechukwu, has urged the Presidency to take seriously the concerns raised by former President Olusegun Obasanjo about the state of the nation.

Okechukwu said it would be unwise for the Federal Government to dismiss both Obasanjo’s message and the former president himself simply because of political differences.

In a statement on the state of the nation, the lawmaker expressed concern over worsening insecurity and argued that Nigeria was facing serious challenges requiring urgent attention.

He cited reported attacks on officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps travelling from Sokoto and Kebbi to Abuja, in which some personnel were killed and others abducted.

Okechukwu also referred to reports of an attack on a passenger train travelling from Kaduna to Abuja as further evidence of growing security concerns.

According to him, such incidents reinforced warnings by Obasanjo and other Nigerians that the country was experiencing deep political, economic and security difficulties.

He argued that the Presidency should focus on the substance of the concerns raised rather than dismissing them because of who made them.

Okechukwu also cited international assessments of Nigeria’s fragility and exposure to terrorism, saying they reflected broader concerns about the country’s stability and security.

He maintained that the combination of insecurity, political division and economic pressure made it necessary for the Federal Government to engage more seriously with criticism from respected national figures.

The lawmaker called on the Presidency to bring together major stakeholders and representatives of different sections of the country to discuss ways of addressing the challenges.

According to him, continuing to deny the seriousness of the situation would not help the country overcome its problems.

Okechukwu therefore urged President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to consider Obasanjo’s observations as part of a wider national conversation and take practical steps to strengthen security, unity and governance.