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Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has told President Bola Tinubu that rising insecurity and the loss of innocent lives will ultimately define his administration, as he criticised remarks suggesting the security crisis would not deter the president from seeking re-election.
Tinubu had said he remained determined to contest again, dismissing suggestions that security challenges could force him out of office and warning that attempts to use insecurity against him politically would fail.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by his media aide, Phrank Shaibu, Abubakar described the president’s comments as troubling, arguing that leadership should be measured by responsibility and tangible action rather than defiance.
He said the administration had fallen short in its core duty of protecting lives and property, adding that the consequences of insecurity would ultimately shape public judgment of the government.
“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 cited figures indicating that thousands of Nigerians have been killed since Tinubu assumed office, with some estimates placing the toll at over 18,000 within two years.
He also faulted what he described as the framing of public outrage over insecurity as political opportunism, saying such a stance diminishes the grief of affected families.
Abubakar criticised the Nigerian government’s response to a recent attack in Ekiti State, where a pastor was killed and worshippers abducted, describing it as inadequate and lacking empathy.
He said it was concerning that such incident in Ekiti had not received the level of acknowledgement they deserved from the highest levels of government.
“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.
“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.”
The former vice president further linked declining public confidence to worsening insecurity, rising living costs and what he called poor fiscal management, insisting that trust in leadership must be earned.
He added that the realities faced by Nigerians cannot be altered by rhetoric, noting that citizens would ultimately judge the administration based on its performance.
“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.
“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.”
Abubakar urged the Nigerian government to review its security strategy, stressing that the protection of lives and property must remain the central measure of governance.
