The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has urged President Bola Tinubu to focus on tackling Nigeria’s worsening insecurity instead of preparing for the 2027 general election.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by Bolaji Abdullahi, its national publicity secretary, the opposition party criticised Tinubu’s recent declaration that he was prepared to “fight to the finish” politically, saying the president should be reflecting on his administration’s security record instead.
Tinubu made the remarks during a meeting with the leadership of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) at the State House in Abuja.
The ADC said Tinubu was elected to confront terrorists, bandits and kidnappers, not opposition parties.
“This is our message: Mr President, the fight Nigerians elected you to lead is not against the opposition. It is against the terrorists, kidnappers and armed criminals who continue to kill innocent citizens and destabilise communities across the country,” the statement reads.
The party noted that the remarks came only hours after at least 30 people were killed in an attack on Naridon village in Kauru LGA of Kaduna state.
It said the incident highlighted Nigeria’s deepening security crisis.
The ADC accused Tinubu of responding to violent attacks with statements instead of decisive action.
“Yet, the President, whose primary duty is to protect and preserve Nigerian lives, has chosen instead to serve as Nigeria’s Statement Maker-in-Chief,” the party said.
“After every attack comes another statement. After every massacre comes another condemnation. After every tragedy comes another expression of sympathy.
“Nigerians did not elect a Commander-in-Chief to become the nation’s chief issuer of condolence statements.”
The party added that Tinubu appears more willing to confront the opposition than terrorists.
“What is equally disturbing is that when it comes to insecurity, President Tinubu is a commentator. However, when it comes to the opposition, he is a combatant,” the ADC said.
“Mr President should reserve decisive words and actions like ‘fight to the finish’ to defeat the terrorists, bandits and kidnappers who continue to shed innocent Nigerian blood, not the opposition who want to save Nigerians from his misrule and failure.”
The ADC said Tinubu’s administration has failed to deliver the level of security Nigerians expect after more than three years in office.
“After more than three years in office, this administration cannot point to a security record that justifies political bravado,” the ADC stated.
“Given its catastrophic failure to secure lives and property, one would have expected the President to be reflecting on his record, not digging in politically.”
The party said elections are won through performance rather than political rhetoric.
“The ADC believes elections are won by performance, not by declarations of political toughness,” the party said.
“The President’s real opponents are not the opposition. They are terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and the growing insecurity that continues to claim innocent Nigerian lives. Those are the enemies he was elected to fight, and as things stand today, they remain undefeated.”
The party urged the president to prioritise restoring security across the country instead of engaging in political battles ahead of the 2027 elections.
