The Presidency has dismissed former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s criticism of the Tinubu administration’s handling of insecurity, accusing him of allowing terrorism to take root during his own tenure.
Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communication, issued the sharp response over the weekend following Obasanjo’s remarks at a public event in Jos, Plateau State, on Friday, November 28.
The former president had expressed concern over deteriorating security across Nigeria and suggested that the government should not hesitate to seek foreign intervention if it cannot manage the crisis alone. His comments came weeks after US President Donald Trump criticized Nigeria over attacks on Christians and threatened military action against terrorists operating in the country.
However, the Presidency described Obasanjo’s suggestion as “an abdication of responsibility,” arguing that calling for external intervention in Nigeria’s internal affairs does not reflect genuine leadership.
Dare accused the former president of hypocrisy, pointing out that terrorism began gaining ground during Obasanjo’s civilian administration when early warning signs were ignored.
“Recent comments by a former President and a few habitual presidential aspirants attempting to paint the Tinubu administration as ‘unable to protect Nigerians’ are not merely hypocritical but ignoble,” the statement read.
“Before recommending surrender, the former President should reflect on what he failed to do when these terrorists first began organising under his watch.”
The Presidency noted that Nigeria is confronting a complex terrorist network that includes internationally designated terror organizations, ISIS and al-Qaeda affiliates across the Sahel, local extremist groups, cross-border cells, and criminal-terror hybrids.
“It is a historical fact that the ideological seeds and early cells of Boko Haram were nurtured during Obasanjo’s civilian presidency,” the statement alleged. “As they recruited, indoctrinated, established camps, and openly challenged authority, the state failed to act with the necessary urgency.”
While acknowledging the need for international cooperation, the Presidency made clear that Nigeria would not compromise its sovereignty.
“The suggestion that Nigeria should effectively subcontract its internal security to foreign governments is not statesmanship; it is capitulation,” Dare stated. “Nigeria will cooperate internationally, yes, but it will not raise a white flag because someone who once had the chance lost his nerve.”
The government emphasized ongoing collaboration with the United States and other allied nations to address the transnational nature of the security threat, but insisted that Nigeria retains full control over its security operations.
