The Presidency has criticized former President Olusegun Obasanjo over his recent comments on Nigeria’s worsening security situation, arguing that he lacks the moral authority to assess President Bola Tinubu’s handling of national security. It claimed that violent extremism first took root under Obasanjo’s administration.
The response—issued by President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, via his verified X handle—faulted Obasanjo’s suggestion that the Federal Government seek foreign military assistance to address insecurity. Dare described the proposal as a “surrender of Nigeria’s sovereignty,” not an act of statesmanship.
In a statement titled “Between Tinubu’s Capability and the Ignobility of Pseudo Statesmanship,” the Presidency accused Obasanjo and other “habitual presidential aspirants” of ignoring the foundational security failures that occurred on their watch while attempting to judge the current administration. Dare said Nigeria is confronted by a complex mix of international, regional, and local terrorist groups, stressing that appealing for foreign intervention reflects capitulation rather than leadership.
According to the Presidency, terrorism remains a harsh reality in Nigeria, with attacks—including killings, kidnappings, raids, and the destruction of infrastructure—carried out by a multilayered network of violent organizations. These include internationally designated extremist groups, ISIS- and al-Qaeda-linked franchises, domestic armed groups disguising themselves as bandits, cross-border cells, ideological insurgents, and criminal networks that collaborate to undermine the state.
The statement further alleged that Obasanjo’s administration “incubated” Boko Haram, claiming that early extremist cells were allowed to grow unchecked into the violent insurgency and cross-border terrorist network Nigeria now faces—one that has since aligned with global jihadist movements.
Dare concluded that it is “deeply ironic” for Obasanjo—under whose leadership terrorism began to take shape in Nigeria—to lecture a sitting President who is contending with its far-reaching consequences.
