Paul Ibe, media aide to the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his Independence Day address, accusing the administration of failing to adequately address the country’s worsening insecurity.
Ibe made the remarks in a post on X on Saturday while reacting to the President’s national address marking Nigeria’s Independence Day.
According to him, Tinubu’s speech was notable not only for what he said but also for what he allegedly left unaddressed, particularly the killings, kidnappings, mass abductions and attacks on communities across the country.
Ibe acknowledged that the President made references to insecurity and commended the nation’s security forces but argued that the address did not provide a detailed assessment of the security situation or explain what the government planned to do differently.
He said, “President Bola Tinubu’s Independence Day address was remarkable not only for what he said, but for what he carefully avoided saying.”
Ibe argued that insecurity had become an uncomfortable subject for the administration, stressing that the government could not meaningfully discuss economic prosperity while Nigerians continued to face security challenges.
He noted that farmers unable to safely access their farms could not contribute fully to food production, while businesses and travellers were also affected by insecurity.
The former Atiku aide called on President Tinubu, as Commander-in-Chief, to provide Nigerians with clearer answers on why insecurity persists, what had gone wrong, the progress recorded so far and what measures the government intends to change.
He maintained that the protection of lives and property remained a fundamental responsibility of government, adding that Nigerians deserved more than a passing reference to insecurity in an Independence Day address.
“Insecurity cannot be wished away. It must be confronted, accounted for and defeated,” Ibe added.
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