The opposition Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has challenged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Defence Minister Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), and other top presidential aides to travel across Nigerian highways without heavily armed security escorts if they genuinely believe the country’s security situation has improved.
​The dare was contained in an official press statement issued at 10:00 AM on Saturday, September 5, 2026, from the party’s national headquarters in Abuja. Signed by APM National Publicity Secretary Abubakar Yusuf, the statement sharply criticized recent public commentary by government officials claiming that security forces have largely subdued terrorist groups and bandits.
​The party described claims made by Gen. Musa during a televised interview as a “dangerous distortion of reality” and accused the administration of being disconnected from the daily risks ordinary Nigerians face on major transit routes.
​”If the security situation has truly improved as the administration claims, the APM challenges the President, the Minister of Defence, and other senior officials of the Tinubu Presidency to travel by road without armed security details, as other Nigerians must do every day,” Yusuf stated.
​To substantiate its position, the APM cited alarming security indicators, pointing to data from SBM Intelligence showing that over ₦7.78 billion was paid in kidnapping ransoms between July 2025 and June 2026.
The party further referenced the 2026 Global Terrorism Index (GTI), noting Nigeria’s rise to fourth place among the world’s most terrorism-affected nations, up from sixth in 2025.
​The opposition party highlighted recent mass abductions, including the capture of nearly 600 residents from the Dekera, Gidan-Zana, and Sabon Gida communities in Niger State, where mostly women, children, and elderly citizens remain in captivity.
​Concluding the briefing, the APM argued that the current administration lacks an effective blueprint to tackle worsening insecurity, urging citizens to look toward political alternatives ahead of the 2027 general elections.
