The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has reacted to the recent airstrikes carried out by the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) in Sokoto State, stressing the urgent need for Nigeria to confront its internal security challenges without overreliance on foreign intervention.
In a statement shared on his X handle on Friday, the spokesperson of the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, criticised the handling of the country’s security architecture under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing it as a departure from constitutional responsibility.
Abdullahi argued that the President appeared to have relinquished his primary duty of safeguarding the nation, warning that such posture raised serious concerns about leadership and sovereignty.
“President Bola Tinubu has outsourced his most important constitutional responsibility, effectively taking a back seat in a vehicle that he is constitutionally assigned to drive,” Abdullahi wrote.
He further questioned the optics of Nigeria’s leadership in the wake of the airstrikes, suggesting that public communication surrounding the incident undermined national authority.
“When the President of Nigeria appears compelled to report himself to another head of state, even tagging a foreign President in a Christmas Day message, Nigerians are entitled to ask who is truly in charge of our country?” he added.
The ADC maintained that while international cooperation in security matters could be beneficial, it should not substitute for strong domestic leadership, effective intelligence gathering and the empowerment of Nigeria’s armed forces.
The party urged the Federal Government to prioritise comprehensive security reforms and demonstrate clear leadership in tackling terrorism and banditry, particularly in the North-West and other troubled regions of the country.
