Despite grappling with its own internal disputes, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a scathing swipe at President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accusing his administration of complacency and tokenism in the face of escalating insecurity across the country.
In a strongly worded statement issued late last night, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, reviewed what he described as the “unabating and worsening” security situation and concluded that the Tinubu-led government has failed Nigerians.
The PDP said the recent announcement of President Tinubu’s cancellation of his planned visit to South Africa and Angola was “the latest and boldest example of tokenism,” insisting that the Presidency was “less than honest” in presenting the decision as a gesture of sympathy for kidnapped schoolgirls and other victims of violence.
“While the decision may appear to be in sympathy with the kidnapping of the Maga schoolgirls and the escalating insecurity across the country, particularly in northern Nigeria, it remains a mere perfunctory gesture and nothing more,” the party said.
The opposition party challenged the Presidency to prove otherwise by urging President Tinubu to temporarily relocate to Kebbi State and other conflict zones in the North.
“Such a move will not only challenge the security agencies to act more decisively in ending the ongoing carnage but will also boost the morale of the troops on the front lines.
“As President and Commander-in-Chief, Tinubu must not recline in the comfort of the Presidential Villa at a time when 25 schoolgirls have been abducted and their whereabouts remain unknown. He must demonstrate leadership by leading from the front, as true leaders do in moments of grave national challenge,” the PDP insisted.
Referencing recent attacks in Kwara State, the party said insecurity and fear have now become the daily lived reality for Nigerians nationwide, yet the APC-led administration continues to issue “outright denials, rationalised explanations, empty assurances, and other superficial gestures such as the President’s cancelled trip.”
The PDP warned that without deeper strategic intervention, the cancellation of the President’s trip would amount to “nothing more than another media stunt aimed at currying public favour and sympathy rather than confronting the urgent task of securing lives and property.”
In a biting comparison, the party argued that if the issue were political—such as the Rivers State crisis—President Tinubu would have mobilised “all strategies and resources, within and outside the law” to secure a swift resolution.
“We hereby put the President and his administration on notice that Nigerians are tired of symbolic gestures such as sympathy statements and trip cancellations. What the nation urgently requires is decisive leadership, strategic action, and effective support for the security forces, especially those at the front lines.
“The safety of Nigerians cannot be reduced to mere theatrics. Leadership must rise above optics and deliver tangible, consistent action that restores public confidence and protects lives and property. This situation demands seriousness, not symbolism,” the statement concluded
