A former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has identified leadership failure as responsible for Nigeria’s fourth position in the 2026 Global Terrorism Index released on Thursday.

Mr Obi in a post on X stated that Nigeria’s fourth position in the latest index was indicting and proved the country’s current leadership deficit and administrative failure.

He said, “While many countries are seeing a decline in terrorism, Nigeria is moving in the opposite direction. This trend is a direct result of misplaced priorities, weak governance, corruption, a lack of rule of law, and the persistent neglect of security, which is the government’s most fundamental duty.”

Faulting the government’s handling of insecurity and terrorism in Nigeria, the former Anambra State governor condemned the continued killings of Nigerians by terrorists and politicians contrasting lifestyles.

Mr Obi also denounced government negligence on insecurity, noting that leadership failure left kidnapping and violence by armed bandits in rural communities unaddressed.

He stated, “From the insurgency of Boko Haram to the growing threat posed by the Islamic State West Africa Province, the crisis of kidnapping, and unchecked violence in our rural communities by heavily armed bandits, Nigerians are dying daily while those in power continue to feast.”

Emphasising the need for decisive actions and measurable progress, Mr Obi urged Nigerians to reject normalising terrorism and its accompanying tragedies.

“This is not the Nigeria we should accept. We cannot continue down this path. It is time to move from excuses to action, and from failure to measurable progress. A safe and secure Nigeria is not too much to ask; it is the right of every citizen, and it must be delivered,” he noted.

Earlier on Thursday, the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) in its Global Terrorism Index 2026 report ranked Nigeria fourth in Global Terrorism Index for 2025.

“In 2025, Nigeria rose two places in the Index, reflecting the significant increase of terrorist activity in the country. Terror attacks in Nigeria increased by 43 per cent this year, from 120 incidents in 2024 to 171 in 2025,” the report said.

The report stated that despite substantial decrease in terrorism worldwide, Nigeria recorded the highest terror casualties in killings and other nefarious terrorists’ activities in the past five years.