By Alabi Oluwasore
President Bola Tinubu has been blamed by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for being “blinded by politics” and for possessing “brazen insensitivity” to the growing insecurity in the country. The party, in a statement signed by the publicity secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, condemned the president for attending social events amidst killings and kidnappings in Kwara, Kogi, Plateau, and Zamfara states.
Nigerians are indeed worried. The attacks, kidnappings, and killings are fast becoming daily reports from the North to the South. Families are being torn apart, communities are in mourning, and citizens are living in constant fear. This is not the Nigeria that citizens envision under any government. The president must do more and be seen to be doing more to restore peace and assure citizens that their safety is of paramount importance.
However, the reaction of the opposition to these issues seems to be less about concern for the people and more of a political campaign. The ADC, instead of providing realistic alternatives or demanding cooperation on national security, has chosen to turn each national tragedy into a tool of propaganda. Any move the president makes, whether right or wrong, is criticized, with no room for constructive dialogue or mutual progress.
This incessant condemnation creates divisions at a moment when unity is most needed. It erodes public trust and diminishes important national challenges to political static. Nigerians need leaders who will rise above party affiliations to tackle a common adversary: insecurity, not leaders who harvest points from the misfortunes of people.
Yes, the president must do more. He must be proactive, empathetic, and decisive. But opposition parties also have a role to play to help defend the country, not destroy it with unrestrained negativity. Patriotism is not in the loudness of your criticism; it’s in the depth of your contribution to make things better.
The fight against insecurity is too serious to be reduced to propaganda. The opposition and the government must come together to protect Nigerians’ lives because, in the end, no one is safe when a country is at war with itself.
