•Tinubu and ADC logo
The African Democratic Congress has urged President Bola Tinubu to stay focused and not be distracted by the politics of re-election at a time when the country is grappling with worsening insecurity and mounting casualties.
In a sharply worded statement today in Abuja, the party said recent actions by the United States government — particularly the approval for non-essential embassy staff and their families to leave Abuja — point to a troubling erosion of international confidence in Nigeria’s ability to guarantee safety.
Signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the statement argued that the move was far from routine, but rather “a clear and consequential signal” that global trust in the country’s security framework is faltering.
The party’s intervention comes against the backdrop of the killing of Brigadier General Oseni Omoh Braimah and other troops in a fresh terrorist assault in Borno, a development it described as both tragic and emblematic of a deeper crisis, reports Daily Independent.
“The African Democratic Congress (ADC) mourns the tragic loss of Brigadier General Oseni Omoh Braimah and the brave soldiers of the Nigerian Army who were killed in the recent terrorist attack in Borno State. We honour their courage and their service. Behind every fallen soldier is a family permanently altered, a future cut short, and a sacrifice that can never truly be repaid. We stand in solidarity with their loved ones,” the party said.
But beyond grief, the ADC insisted the moment demands an unflinching confrontation with what it called a more disturbing reality, adding, “as of April 9, 2026, the United States government authorized the departure of non-emergency staff and their families from its embassy in Abuja due to a deteriorating security situation. For a country like the United States to take such a step, after initial efforts at cooperation and engagement with the Nigerian government, it signals a clear loss of confidence in the ability of this administration to guarantee safety and stability.”
The party underscored that “this is not a routine administrative decision. It is a verdict.”
In its reading, the development exposes a widening gap between official assurances and the lived reality across Nigeria’s conflict zones, where violence continues to escalate with unsettling regularity.
The ADC painted a grim picture stretching from the North-West through the North-Central and North-East into the Middle Belt, where attacks, it said, have grown more coordinated, more frequent, and more devastating.
“Across the North-West, North-Central, North-East, and the Middle Belt, attacks have become frequent, coordinated, and devastating. Communities are being overrun, lives are being lost, and citizens are being left to fend for themselves. These are not isolated incidents. They are part of a sustained pattern,” ADC noted.
Even more troubling, according to the party, are accounts suggesting that some attacks were preceded by warnings that failed to trigger effective preventive action.
The party said: “There are credible reports that, in some cases, warnings were issued ahead of attacks, but no effective preventive action was taken. What follows is now predictable: statements, condolences, and assurances that such incidents will not happen again. But they do.”
From Plateau to Benue to Borno, the ADC said the cycle has become all too familiar — tragedy, sympathy, promises — with little evidence of meaningful change on the ground.
“At this point, ‘never again’ has become a refrain that is no longer matched by results,” ADC said.
While commending the resilience of troops on the frontlines, the party drew a sharp distinction between battlefield courage and what it described as systemic failure at higher levels of command and coordination.
“The bravery of our soldiers is not in doubt. They continue to serve with courage under extremely difficult conditions. The problem lies not with those on the frontlines, but with the system that is meant to support them,” the party said.
It added that the death of a serving general should not be viewed in isolation, but as a red flag pointing to deeper structural weaknesses.
It said: “The death of a general in active service is not just a tragedy. It is a signal of deeper structural and leadership failures that must be urgently addressed.”
At the heart of the ADC’s criticism is what it sees as a dangerous drift in leadership priorities, accusing the President of focusing on political calculations ahead of the 2027 elections rather than the immediate task of securing lives.
“As Commander-in-Chief, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu bears the ultimate responsibility for the direction and effectiveness of Nigeria’s security response. This moment demands leadership that is focused, decisive, and accountable. But instead, we are witnessing a President who is so preoccupied with politics that he has reduced his role as Commander-in-Chief to merely issuing condolences and condemnations,” ADC lamented.
The party called for an urgent recalibration of strategy, insisting that incremental responses are no longer sufficient in the face of a deepening crisis.
“The ADC therefore calls on the President to refocus his administration on the primary responsibility of protecting lives and securing the country. This requires a clear reset of strategy, improved coordination, and measurable outcomes that Nigerians can see and trust,” the party said.
In a rare note of blunt self-assessment directed at the Presidency, the party argued that the current approach has failed to deliver results and urged the administration to acknowledge this reality.
“Certainly, the current approach, whatever it is, is not delivering results. The president should have the humility to admit that he has failed, and every single life lost under his watch is evidence of this tragic failure,” the party said.
Framing its intervention as a call to responsibility rather than partisan attack, the ADC stressed that the stakes go beyond politics.
It said: “This is not about politics. It is about responsibility. It is about ensuring that the sacrifices of our soldiers are not in vain and that Nigerians can live without fear.”
It concluded with a warning that unless there is a decisive break from the current trajectory, both citizens and the international community will continue to question the government’s commitment to its most fundamental duty, adding, “until there is a clear break from the current pattern, both Nigerians and the international community will continue to question the willingness of this government to meet its most basic obligation.”
