'He's tired. He should be allowed to retire in peace, and then go home,' Peter Obi said.

Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has called on President Bola Tinubu to step down ahead of the 2027 election, arguing that the President is 'tired' and no longer has the capacity to tackle Nigeria's economic and security challenges.

Speaking during an exclusive interview on Sunday Politics with Seun Okinbaloye on Channels Television, Obi argued that while Tinubu may have performed well as governor of Lagos State, his current leadership has failed to address the country's worsening crises.

'The Bola Tinubu that was governor is not the one that is president today. The man should just step aside. Yes, he doesn’t have the capacity to do the job,' Obi said.

Obi's comments came as he painted a grim picture of the country's economic and social conditions, lamenting what he described as rising poverty, hunger, insecurity, and poor governance.

'World Bank has just said that 79% of Nigerians are going to face poverty. In a country of 230 million people, that's over 180 million. That should be the issue we should be discussing,' he said.

The former Anambra State governor also referenced food insecurity, saying millions of Nigerians face hunger.

'This election in 2027 should be about issues that affect the ordinary Nigerians… The World Food Programme has just said 35 million Nigerians are going to face hunger. Nigerians are being kidnapped. Let's talk about Nigeria,' he added.

Responding to comments by former US President Donald Trump commending Tinubu's efforts against insecurity, Obi acknowledged the praise but maintained that the government's response remains inadequate.

'Thank you to Donald Trump. Thank you to President Trump. But we need to do more, far more than what we are doing,' he said.

I've heard people, and Donald Trump is now confirming it, say he has done his best. But with the crisis we are facing, his best is not enough. We need to do more,' Obi said.

Obi cited recent abductions in Zamfara State as evidence that insecurity remains a major national emergency.

'On Wednesday, 40 people were abducted in Zamfara, and the entire community, everybody is packing to run away. On Thursday, 50 were abducted. So we’re in a crisis situation that requires another capacity,' he said.

The former governor argued that tackling insecurity requires addressing its underlying economic causes, particularly widespread poverty and poor access to education.

'You can't create mass poverty and think you can deal with insecurity,' he said. 'The more you put people out of poverty, the more you reduce criminality. You need to invest in education, massive.'

Obi said he would adopt a more hands-on leadership approach if elected president, insisting he would personally oversee security responses across the country.

'Whatever it takes to secure any Nigerian, I will do that,' he said. 'If your people are dying, you should be ready to die. You’re the president. You’re the number one person.'

On his own presidential ambition, Obi insisted he was driven not by personal ambition but by a desire to see the country succeed.

'I'm not desperate to be Nigerian president. I'm desperate to see Nigeria work.'

He added that he would support anyone capable of delivering good governance.

'If it’s working, I'll support whatever makes it work,' he said.

Reflecting on Nigeria's trajectory, Obi said he remains saddened by what he described as the country's continued decline.

'Every year we’re headed south, where more and more people have been impoverished, more and more children are out of school. Things are going in the wrong direction,' he said.

He said his vision remains to build 'a Nigeria that is united and peaceful' where every citizen has equal opportunity regardless of tribe or religion.