Fight Terrorists, Not Opposition, ADC Tells Tinubu

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on President Bola Tinubu to focus his energy on fighting bandits and kidnappers terrorising the country, and not the opposition.

ADC in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, expressed worry at the statement credited to President Tinubu during a meeting with members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN).

The president was quoted as having declared that he was prepared to “fight to the finish” politically, to win the next year’s presidential election.

The party reminded Tinubu that he was elected by Nigerians to lead the fight against terrorism, banditry and violent crime, and not against the opposition.

According to the ADC, the president should concern himself with the fight against “the terrorists, kidnappers and armed criminals who continue to kill innocent citizens and destabilise communities across the country.”

The party noted that hours before the president’s remarks, about 30 people were killed in a late-night attack on Naridon village in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

“Homes were burnt. Families were displaced. Another community was left devastated by an attack that should never have happened.

“Yet, the president, whose primary duty is to protect and preserve Nigerian lives, has chosen instead to serve as Nigeria’s Statement Maker-in-Chief.

“After every attack comes another statement. After every massacre comes another condemnation. After every tragedy comes another expression of sympathy,” the party stated.

It reminded him that Nigerians did not elect a Commander-in-Chief to become the nation’s chief issuer of condolence statements.

According to the ADC, when it comes to insecurity, President Tinubu is a “commentator”, but a “combatant” when it comes to the opposition.

The party advised the president to reserve decisive words and actions like “fight to the finish” to defeat the terrorists, bandits and kidnappers who continue to shed innocent Nigerian blood, not the opposition who want to save Nigerians from his misrule and failure.

“Instead of preparing for another political fight, President Tinubu should be leading the fight against those who have turned communities across the country into killing fields and forced countless Nigerians from their homes.

“That is the battle the country expects him to win,” ADC stated, adding that after more than three years in office, his administration could not point to a security record that justifies his political bravado.

“Given its catastrophic failure to secure lives and property, one would have expected the president to be reflecting on his record, not digging in politically,” the party said.

It stated that elections are won by performance, not by declarations of political toughness, adding that the president’s real opponents are not the opposition.

“They are terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and the growing insecurity that continues to claim innocent Nigerian lives.

“Those are the enemies he was elected to fight, and as things stand today, they remain undefeated,” ADC added.