•Tinubu and ADC logo
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to withdraw police officers from VIP protection, describing it as political theatre that fails to address Nigeria’s deepening security challenges.
In a statement by the party’s spokesperson, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the government appears more focused on optics than on implementing a comprehensive strategy to confront terrorism, banditry, and mass abductions.
“While the directive makes for good headlines, it is neither new nor effective and demonstrates the government’s lack of understanding of the true nature and complexity of Nigeria’s worsening security crisis,” Abdullahi said.
The party noted that similar directives were issued twice earlier in 2025 by the Inspector-General of Police, allegedly on presidential orders, without any tangible results, reports Vanguard.
“Even if the latest directive is fully implemented, the broader concern remains: by their training and orientation, these policemen are ill-equipped for the scale and sophistication of Nigeria’s security emergencies,” Abdullahi added.
The ADC also questioned claims that the withdrawal would free up 100,000 officers for frontline security duties, insisting that capability, not numbers, is the core issue. The party highlighted that even the military struggles against insurgents’ evolving tactics.
Additionally, the decision to replace withdrawn police personnel with officers from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)—whose primary roles include disaster risk reduction and community safety—was criticized as inadequate for counter-terrorism operations.
“Nigeria’s security challenges must be addressed comprehensively, not cosmetically. What the country needs is a coherent national security strategy anchored in modernisation, intelligence, and institutional integration,” Abdullahi said.
The ADC also demanded transparency, calling on the government to provide data, operational plans, and logistics that would enable redeployed officers to be effective in the field.
“The Tinubu administration must move beyond announcements and press briefings and initiate an urgent overhaul of Nigeria’s national security architecture,” the party concluded.
