The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised President Bola Tinubu over his declaration that he is prepared to “fight to the finish” politically, urging him instead to focus on tackling terrorism, banditry and other security challenges facing the country.
The party stated this in reaction to the president’s comment that he would not give opponents in the 2027 elections a red carpet treatment, and that any one who plans to unseat him, should be “ready to fight to the finishing point”.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party described the President’s remarks as misplaced, noting that they came amid worsening insecurity, including the recent attack on Naridon village in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, where at least 30 people were reportedly killed.
The ADC said it was concerned that President Tinubu chose a meeting with Catholic bishops at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, to declare his readiness to “fight to the finish” politically while Nigerians continued to live under the threat of terrorism, banditry and violent crime.
According to the party, the President should direct such determination towards defeating terrorists, kidnappers and other armed criminal groups rather than the political opposition.
“The fight Nigerians elected you to lead is not against the opposition. It is against the terrorists, kidnappers and armed criminals who continue to kill innocent citizens and destabilise communities across the country,” the statement said.
The party noted that the President’s comments came only hours after the attack on Naridon village, which it said left at least 30 people dead, homes destroyed and many residents displaced.
Describing Tinubu as Nigeria’s “Statement Maker-in-Chief”, the ADC accused the administration of responding to security incidents with repeated condemnations and sympathy messages instead of decisive action.
It argued that while the President had become “a commentator” on insecurity, he had chosen to be “a combatant” against the opposition.
The party maintained that the President should reserve his pledge to “fight to the finish” for terrorists, bandits and kidnappers rather than opposition parties.
The ADC further argued that, after more than three years in office, the administration could not point to a security record that justified what it described as political bravado, insisting that elections should be won on the basis of performance rather than declarations of political toughness.
It added that the President’s real opponents were terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and the broader insecurity facing the country, saying those remained the challenges Nigerians expected him to defeat.
(Ripples)
