The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has listed several measures through which President Bola Tinubu can constructively respond to threats of military invasion by the United States President, Donald Trump.
The ADC, in a statement on Monday, urged President Tinubu to carry out a comprehensive overhaul of the national security apparatus, including an independent audit of operations, leadership, and strategy.
The party also called on the President to immediately appoint qualified persons as ambassadors in strategic foreign nations to restore Nigeria’s diplomatic presence and strategic influence.
In a statement, signed by its spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC called for a reset of Nigeria’s foreign policy, with renewed engagement across ECOWAS, the AU, and the UN.
Such a policy thrust, the party said, should be grounded in national interest and not personal promotion of the president and his political interests.
The coalition of opposition also called for urgent economic reforms, focused on price stability, a credible plan to ease inflation, and a verifiable social welfare system to ease the suffering of the poor across the country.
It also called for an end to the personalisation of public institutions and a return to accountable, citizen-focused governance.
While appreciating the concerns raised by the American president about the security situation in Nigeria, the ADC urged that such concerns should be translated into supporting Nigeria to grow its democracy and develop its capacity to solve its own problems.
The party said, “We believe that mobilising armed troops, or even a mere threat of doing so, would do more harm than good and ultimately prove counter-productive to our democratic aspiration and the long-term unity and stability of our country.
“Nigeria is not beyond saving, but time is running out. We must act now, with courage, clarity, and a commitment to protect the lives and dignity of every Nigerian. Certainly, Nigeria cannot continue like this.
“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 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.
“It reminds us that in the modern world, concern for human rights, for which the right to life is the most fundamental, transcends national boundaries and that the dignity and respect of nations are no longer measured by their economic strength alone but also by their willingness and capacity to protect their own citizens.
“It is sad to note that it is in this most sacred mandate of government that this administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has failed most.
“Available reports indicate that nearly 15,000 lives have been lost to sundry violent activities since this administration assumed office in 2023.
“These deaths have occurred across regions and religions, underlining a national crisis that cuts across all divides and still endangers us all, regardless of tribe, region or religion.
“Entire communities have been sacked, worshippers have been slaughtered in religious spaces, and bandits now control large territories in our country, waging war at will and levying taxes on citizens with impunity.”
The ADC said the Boko Haram terror group, once declared as technically degraded, is once again growing in strength, while another international terror group make open claims of carrying out “successful attacks” on Nigerian soil.
The party noted that under the Tinubu administration, terror and violence have expanded their reach, from the extreme east and west of the north to its central part.
“On October 31, 2025, the very day that President Trump announces his concern about Nigeria, another terror group, JNIM, an Al-Qaeda affiliate, which had been active in the Sahel region, announced a successful attack in Kwara State, which serves as a gateway to the southern part of the country.
“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.
“Quite significantly, it is also not about which region or religion has lost more lives; it is about every individual’s right to life. Life and death are absolutes, and they must never be reduced to statistics. The ADC believes that one life lost that could have been saved is one death too many,” the party added.
The opposition party further noted that the problem of insecurity in Nigeria did not start with President Tinubu.
It, however, accused the President of refusing to acknowledge that the crisis has got worse under his watch and has refused to accept responsibility.
“Instead, Nigerians have been met with excuses, cruel silence or utter indifference, and political posturing that mocks the tragedy of victims and their families.
“The ADC would also like to draw attention to the structural and diplomatic failures that continue to deepen Nigeria’s vulnerability on the international stage.
“We would like to ask, why has the Nigerian government failed to appoint ambassadors to key countries, more than two years into its term?
“How can a government that has been boasting of unprecedented revenue success continue to give a lack of funds as an excuse for not appointing ambassadors?
“Why has our foreign policy become so deeply personalised, focused on the image of the president and his interests, rather than the image of Nigeria and the interests of the Nigerian people?
“Why are there still no unified national security strategies, no regional coordination, and no meaningful engagement with the communities most affected?
“Under President Tinubu, Nigeria has declined both as a continental and a regional leader. Nothing underlines this decline more than the fracturing of ECOWAS under his watch.
“A region that once looked up to us for direction and leadership on issues of democratisation and security now doesn’t think we matter anymore as smaller countries watch us fumble aimlessly with our own domestic crisis.
“These failures are not isolated. They are all connected, pointing to a government that is so incompetent, so narrow-minded, and yet so blindly arrogant.
“If this government had been less obsessed with politics, propaganda and self-celebration, it would have taken every single violent attack seriously.
“It would have documented every single one of them, and in every single case, it would have demonstrated to Nigerians and to the world what it was doing to bring perpetrators to justice; it would have acknowledged its weaknesses.
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