The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) senatorial candidate for Oyo Central Senatorial District, Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to resign over what he described as worsening insecurity in the country.

Ajadi also urged Tinubu to abandon his reported bid for re-election in 2027 if his administration could not adequately address the security challenges confronting Nigerians.

He made the call while reacting to the reported abduction of 19 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.

The prospective corps members were reportedly abducted after gunmen attacked two buses along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Imo State, on Thursday.

Ajadi described the incident as unacceptable, particularly because the victims were young Nigerians travelling to participate in the national service programme.

“It is ridiculous and unreasonable that corps members who are travelling to serve their motherland should be kidnapped.

“These are young Nigerians who have completed their education and are being deployed to contribute to the development of their country,” he said.

The APM candidate urged Tinubu to direct security agencies to intensify efforts to locate and rescue the abducted prospective corps members, saying their safe return should be treated as a national priority.

“Mr President must make the immediate rescue of these corps members a priority. It is the responsibility of the government to protect Nigerians, particularly young people who are travelling across the country in the service of their nation,” he said.

Ajadi also expressed concern over the reported demand for N50 million ransom for each of the 19 victims, which would amount to N950 million if the reported figure is accurate.

He said the government should take measures to strengthen security on major highways used by prospective corps members and other Nigerians travelling between states.

Ajadi said the reported abductions and other security incidents required stronger measures by the Federal Government to protect lives and property.

He said the President should consider resigning if the abducted corps members could not be rescued.

“If these corps members are unable to be rescued, then Mr President should resign. It is barbaric for the father of the nation to continue his duty as President while some of his children are in the den of kidnappers,” he said.

He further urged Tinubu not to seek re-election in 2027 if his administration was unable to find effective solutions to the country’s security challenges.

“Tinubu should resign because he has not been able to meet the responsibility of solving the insecurity in the nation. He should not bother to contest in the 2027 general election. He should rather resign now,” Ajadi said.

He urged security agencies to sustain search-and-rescue operations until all the abducted prospective corps members were safely reunited with their families.

Ajadi also appealed to Nigerians to provide useful information to security agencies that could assist in the rescue operation and help prevent further attacks on travellers. (Sunday Vanguard, but headline reworked)

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