Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government has lost the moral authority to lead amid renewed terrorist attacks in Borno State.
Atiku made the statement in a post on his X account on Tuesday.
He said that the current administration appeared more focused on political activities than addressing insecurity.
What he said
Atiku criticised the government’s approach to security, contrasting official directives with the continued attacks by insurgents.
- “Bola Tinubu claims he sent ‘marching orders.” The terrorists sent suicide bombers. Nigerians can see who is winning.
- “A government that treats funerals as routine and criticism as treason has lost the moral authority to lead,” he said
Atiku said the Tinubu government is prioritising political opposition and reelection over addressing worsening insecurity, while terrorists continue attacks.
- “The Tinubu government appears to be more obsessed with crushing opposition politicians than it is with fixing the worsening security challenges. And it is obvious that despite the marching orders, the terrorists are still on the offensive.
- “Terrorists don’t know the difference between APC supporters and opposition sympathisers and it’s therefore unhelpful to dismiss honest advice as politically motivated.
- “A government that is too heavily invested in the 2027 reelection campaign is unlikely to accept the reality of insecurity and attack those who dare talk about the gaps,” he stated
He said the latest incidents were reviving memories of 2014 when insurgent activities by Boko Haram were at their peak in Nigeria.
More details
He stressed that Nigerians are more concerned about tangible outcomes than official statements condemning attacks.
- “Nigerians are not impressed with the government’s statements condemning terrorist attacks. They are more concerned about results. Results speak louder than the tough government’s rhetorics,” he added
He added that a mother in Maiduguri is not asking for press releases, but why her child was killed in a place the government claimed was “liberated.”
Atiku further raised concerns about the welfare and equipment of security personnel, suggesting that more support is needed to strengthen operations.
What you should know
Nairametrics reported that at least 23 people were killed and over 100 were injured in multiple explosions in Maiduguri, despite ongoing military operations in the region.
- According to the Nigerian police, the incident occurred at about 7:24 p.m., across three locations: the Maiduguri Monday Market, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) gate, and Post Office Flyover area, Maiduguri.
- The development follows a series of recent security incident earlier this year, coordinated attacks on military bases in Borno reportedly led to the deaths of dozens of soldiers, at least 25 civilians and 11 security personnel were killed in separate attacks across Borno State.
Beyond the northeast insurgency, the country is also dealing with mass kidnappings and banditry in other regions. U.S. forces reportedly carried out airstrikes on suspected terrorist targets on December 25 and also deployed a small team of troops as part of counterterrorism efforts.
