Despite the ongoing spike in insecurity across Nigeria, the blame game between the government and opposition intensified on Wednesday. President Bola Tinubu declared that his political opponents' attempts to exploit insecurity to force him out of office would fail, insisting he would remain in office and seek a second term. This comes two weeks after Senate President Godswill Akpabio attributed rising insecurity to opposition tactics aimed at distracting the ruling party ahead of the 2027 elections.
Tinubu: I Am a Stubborn Politician
Speaking while receiving stakeholders from Plateau State led by Governor Caleb Mutfwang at the State House in Abuja, President Tinubu described himself as a "very stubborn politician" whom his enemies have tried to remove through insecurity. "You are playing to the hand of agents, including my own enemies, who want to use insecurity to get rid of me. But I'm a very stubborn politician. I just refuse to go. And I will campaign for my second term," Tinubu stated.
The President assured that the Federal Government would act once those instigating or financing violence are identified. "If you identify and you know the name of troublemakers, agents or provocateurs who want to continue killing or instigate killing, let us know. We will use the instrument of office to deal with them," he said. Tinubu stressed that security agencies would not hesitate to act against such persons once credible intelligence is provided, emphasizing that the cycle of violence in the state must be broken.
Tinubu also endorsed a newly constituted peace committee involving former governors of Plateau, directing them to work as a single body to review existing white papers on past conflicts and present consolidated recommendations for implementation. The meeting follows a high-level engagement after the Angwa Rukuba killings earlier this month.
Atiku Pushes Back
In a swift response, former Vice President and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, warned that attempts to blackmail or silence the opposition will not rescue a government whose record has failed to inspire confidence. "No amount of deflection or intimidation can rewrite the lived reality of Nigerians. Ultimately, the people will decide, and they will do so based on the evidence before them. When lives are lost and communities are destroyed, governance itself is put on trial. No amount of rhetoric can silence the verdict that comes from the suffering of the people," Atiku said in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.
The Waziri Adamawa described Tinubu's posture as both troubling and disconnected from the painful reality confronting millions of Nigerians, stating that leadership is sustained by responsibility, compassion, and measurable action, not defiance. He noted that while Tinubu's decision to seek re-election is his constitutional right, the administration has failed woefully in its most solemn duty—to protect the lives and property of Nigerians.
"It is not political opponents who will judge this administration—it is the blood of innocent Nigerians being shed daily across our land. That blood cries out louder than any declaration of political resolve," Atiku said. He lamented that over 10,000 Nigerians have been killed in violent attacks since May 2023, with some estimates placing the figure at over 18,000 lives lost within two years. He described the President's attempt to dismiss the anguish of grieving families as "playing into the hands of enemies and opponents" as deeply offensive, trivializing the pain of thousands of bereaved Nigerians.
Atiku further condemned the administration's indifference to ongoing tragedies, citing the recent attack in Ilejemeje, Ekiti State, where gunmen stormed a church gathering, killing a pastor and abducting worshippers. He stressed that no one is forcing the President out of office, but the steady decline in public confidence is a direct consequence of the administration's performance.
US Tightens Oversight
The United States House of Representatives passed its yearly State Department funding bill, which includes steps to address insecurity in Nigeria. U.S. lawmaker Riley Moore announced that the House Appropriation Committee passed a bill to address the crisis. The bill restricts security assistance to Nigeria unless certain criteria are met, including effectively responding to violence, holding perpetrators accountable, prioritizing resources for internally displaced persons, and actively returning displaced persons to their ancestral homelands.
The bill also requires the Secretary of State to assess Abuja's compliance with these standards. Any U.S. assistance must prioritize atrocities prevention, advancing religious freedom, prosecuting Fulani ethnic militia groups, criminal gangs, and other jihadist terrorist groups, accountability for police and security forces, delivery of humanitarian assistance, bolstering faith-based organizations' response in areas impacted by violence, and efforts to disarm Fulani ethnic militants.
Moore stated that the bill adds Nigeria to the list of countries requiring much higher levels of oversight, with the Secretary required to submit a plan for every dollar appropriated to Nigeria. The bill also includes millions in funding for International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement to address violence perpetrated by Fulani Ethnic Militia and other sources of instability in the Middle Belt, bolstering support for the establishment of state-level police forces.
Moore urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to take into account the Tinubu administration's failure to live up to conditions placed on security assistance. "Cracking down on the crisis Christians face in Nigeria has been supported in two appropriations bills by both Republicans and Democrats. The United States will not turn a blind eye to the brutal persecution of our Nigerian brothers and sisters in Christ," he added.
