ADC Accuses Tinubu Government of Dodging Responsibility on Insecurity

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly condemned comments credited to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, in which he reportedly blamed recent terrorist attacks in Kebbi and Kwara States on remarks made by United States President, Donald Trump.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC described the position of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government as “an amateurish deflection” and “a shameless attempt to abdicate responsibility.” The party said the statement was further proof that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is overwhelmed by the worsening security situation in the country and “clueless” about how to address it.

According to the ADC, it is “appalling” that a government that prides itself on defending Nigeria’s sovereignty would suggest that a social media post by a foreign leader could be responsible for the collapse of its own internal security architecture.

Nigeria Was Already a Killing Field Before Trump’s Comment’, ADC

The ADC noted that long before Trump’s alleged remarks, Nigerians had endured years of violent attacks under the APC government, including massacres, mass abductions, and assaults on schools and places of worship. The party argued that these incidents have continued and, in some areas, worsened under the current administration as terrorists and bandits grow “more emboldened” by what it described as the government’s failure to respond decisively.

The statement stressed that it is “disingenuous” to attribute the state of insecurity to a single tweet or statement from Washington, D.C., insisting that those responsible for killing Nigerians did not need Trump’s words to act. Instead, the ADC accused the Tinubu government of having “actively encouraged” criminal elements through consistent failure to curb attacks, prosecute offenders, and secure vulnerable communities.

The party further criticised what it called the government’s continuing fixation on celebrating its electoral victory nearly three years into office, while many Nigerians live in fear. It said this contrast between the government’s priorities and the daily reality of citizens reinforces the perception that the administration is detached from the suffering of the people.

A Serious Government Evaluates Threats, It Doesn’t Look for Scapegoats’

Questioning the logic of blaming Trump for domestic security failures, the ADC asked how a government that claims to defend national sovereignty could argue that a single social media post by a foreign leader had the power to destabilise the country. The statement posed a series of questions: if the comment truly constituted a serious security threat, what assessment did the government carry out and what concrete measures were taken to mitigate the supposed threat?

According to the opposition party, a responsible administration would have immediately evaluated any potentially dangerous external statement, engaged the relevant security and diplomatic channels, and implemented safeguards to protect citizens. Instead, the ADC alleged that the government “waited for opportunistic attacks to occur” and then began “shopping for who to blame” rather than confronting its own shortcomings.

The ADC warned that Nigerians are “tired” of what it called the government’s pattern of refusing to accept responsibility while insecurity persists. It argued that an administration that cannot admit its failures cannot be trusted to design or implement effective solutions. The party concluded that Nigeria is “under siege” not because of Trump’s social media post, but because of what it termed the Tinubu government’s “domestic negligence and incompetence” in handling security.