The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on President Bola Tinubu to abort his state visit to the United Kingdom, return home and show leadership, in the face of Monday night’s bomb blasts in Maiduguri, Borno State where 23 people died and hundreds others injured.
ADC in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, noted that President Tinubu is currently outside the country while senior officials responsible for national security are busy engaging in partisan political activities.
“Moments like this demand the full and undivided attention of the nation’s leadership,” the party said.
ADC stated that Maiduguri, which in recent years had begun to experience a measure of stability after the darkest days of the insurgency, should not be allowed to return to a situation where coordinated bomb attacks are threatening the safety of ordinary citizens going about their daily lives.
It commended the courage of first responders and security personnel who are working to assist the injured and restore calm, but said that incident raises the persistent questions about the state of security in the country.
ADC described as troubling that the president is outside the country at a time when such a serious attack on national security occurred, and condemned the attention on politics of self-succession by those charged with the responsibility of protecting the country at a time when Nigerian soldiers and civilians were being killed by terrorists.
According to the party, while the National Security Adviser is allegedly going after opposition figures and calling bandits his “brothers”, the Minister of Defence is on television planning the national convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“This is not leadership. It is a dangerous distraction, and it is costing lives,” ADC said.
It reminded those in government that those being killed by terrorists are not just numbers.
“Those soldiers being mowed down by bandits are people’s children, husbands, fathers and families.
“In any serious country, a devastating security breach would command the full attention of government. Leaders would return home, address the nation, and take responsibility,” the party added.
ADC further reminded President Tinubu that the primary duty of government is the protection of lives, arguing that such responsibility cannot be treated as secondary to political distractions or competing priorities.
The party said it is no longer enough for government to merely issue condolences and condemnations, stating that Nigeria cannot continue on a path where the loss of lives becomes routine.
“We are only in the third month of the year, and already thousands of Nigerians have been killed in violent attacks across the country, while the president continues to make merry, enjoying the sweetness of the only thing he truly cares about: politics. This is unacceptable, as it is condemnable.
“We also think it is about time that government started to take full responsibilities for every life lost that could have been protected by paying compensation to the families of victims, whether military or civilians.
“Although no amount of money can fully compensate for a lost life, but by penalising itself this way, government would have started to accept responsibility,” the party said.
