While speaking with journalists in Lagos during the weekend, Obi said Nigeria is in a mess under the current government, criticising a rising debt profile which he said threatens the nation's future.

The former vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) called on Nigerian leaders to work together to save the nation from ruin.

He said, "What we have today in Nigeria is the cumulative effect of leadership failures. A leader must know his/her destination. Painfully, we have plenty bad role models masquerading as leaders.

"Nigeria is in total mess because of too much borrowing caused by leadership failures.

"Our situation will get worse if we do not solve these problems urgently. There is serious crisis in Nigeria because politics is now business and transactions. In fact, we have reduced our lives to transactions in Nigeria.

"Tell me, what is working in Nigeria today? A country where states owe billions and the federal government has borrowed over N11 trillion since coming into office and there is nothing to show for all the borrowed funds. Are you not worried that over 21 million of our youths are not employed?

"Nigeria is gradually collapsing and unemployment is part of the disease killing Nigeria. All hands must be on deck to help save our nation from these leadership failures."

Obi also criticised Buhari's delay in announcing a cabinet by using South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa and Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, as leaders worthy of emulation as they swiftly announced theirs.

Buhari beat PDP's candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and 71 other presidential candidates in the February 23 election, but is yet to announce his cabinet almost a month after he was sworn in for a second term.

When he was inaugurated for his first term in May 2015, Buhari did not announce a cabinet until October. He blamed the delay on the previous government's decision to not cooperate with his transition committee.