Former vice-president Atiku Abubakar has faulted President Bola Tinubu over his comments that rising insecurity would not push him out of office.
Tinubu had earlier reaffirmed his intention to seek re-election, insisting that attempts to use insecurity to stop him would fail.
“You are playing into the hands of agents, including my own enemies, who want to use insecurity to get rid of me,” the president had said.
“I’m a very stubborn politician. I just refuse to go. And I will campaign for my second term.”
Responding through a statement issued by his aide, Phrank Shaibu, Abubakar described the president’s remarks as concerning, stressing that leadership should be driven by responsibility and decisive action, not defiance.
“It is not political opponents who will judge this administration; it is the blood of innocent Nigerians being shed daily across our land. That blood cries out louder than any declaration of political resolve,” Abubakar said.
The former vice-president accused the current administration of failing in its fundamental duty to safeguard lives and property, citing reports of thousands of deaths since Tinubu assumed office.
He also criticised what he described as the dismissal of public outrage as mere political manoeuvring, noting that such statements diminish the pain of affected families.
Abubakar further condemned the federal government’s response to recent violent incidents, including an attack in Ekiti State where a pastor was killed and worshippers abducted, describing it as insufficient.
“It is horrifying that the memories of innocent citizens slain due to the failure of the government to provide adequate security would be so casually reduced to political rhetoric,” he said.
“It is disturbing that such a heinous incident has yet to attract the empathy or acknowledgment it deserves from the highest levels of government, while the loss of lives is instead framed as a political game.”
He warned that declining public trust is linked to worsening insecurity, economic hardship, and what he termed “reckless fiscal policies,” adding that credibility in leadership must be earned.
“No amount of deflection or intimidation can rewrite the lived reality of Nigerians. Ultimately, the people will decide, and they will do so based on the evidence before them,” he added.
“When lives are lost, and communities are destroyed, governance itself is put on trial. No amount of rhetoric can silence the verdict that comes from the suffering of the people.
“At a time like this, Nigerians do not need bravado; they need protection. They do not need declarations of staying power; they need proof of leadership.”
He also urged the federal government to reassess its security strategy, emphasising that the protection of lives should remain the central measure of governance.