The African Democratic Congress has faulted President Bola Tinubu’s handling of insecurity following the recent comments by United States President Donald Trump, who named Nigeria a “country of particular concern.”
Trump had on October 31 threatened possible military action in Nigeria if the alleged killings of Christians continued. He made the statement on his Truth Social platform, directing the U.S. Department of War to prepare for “possible action.”
Reacting on Monday through its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said Trump’s comments showed that the world was alarmed by Nigeria’s growing insecurity.
“We are guided by the painful reality that what is really at stake on this issue are the thousands of human lives that have been lost to insecurity in Nigeria, irrespective of their tribe, religion, or region,” the statement read.
The party added that Trump’s warning underlined the global expectation that governments must protect their citizens.
“The statement by President Trump reminds us of the greater global concern about the sanctity of human life, and the cardinal responsibility of national governments to protect the lives of people who live within their borders,” Abdullahi noted.
According to the ADC, insecurity had worsened under the Tinubu administration, with thousands of lives lost since June 2023.
“Available reports indicate that nearly 15,000 lives have been lost to sundry violent activities since this administration assumed office in 2023,” the party said.
It warned that the crisis was no longer about religion or tribe but a national threat that endangered everyone.
“The crisis that we face is therefore not about any ethnic or religious group being targeted for killing; it is an existential crisis that imperils all Nigerians,” it added.
The ADC also cited a recent attack by JNIM, an Al-Qaeda affiliate, in Kwara State on the same day Trump issued his statement.
It accused the government of negligence and a lack of urgency in addressing the problem, noting that Nigeria had yet to appoint ambassadors two years into Tinubu’s tenure.
“How can a government that has been boasting of unprecedented revenue success continue to give lack of funds as an excuse for not appointing ambassadors?” the party asked.
The ADC said Nigeria’s foreign image had suffered, blaming what it described as misplaced priorities by the administration.
“If this government had been less obsessed with politics, propaganda, and self-celebration, it would have taken every single violent attack seriously,” it said.
The party proposed a total overhaul of the nation’s security system, urgent ambassadorial appointments, a foreign policy reset focused on national interest, and targeted economic reforms to ease inflation.
It also advised the U.S. and other countries to offer institutional support to Nigeria rather than military threats.
“Mobilising armed troops, or even a mere threat of doing so, would do more harm than good and ultimately prove counterproductive. Nigeria is not beyond saving, but time is running out,” the ADC stated.
