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The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised President Bola Tinubu for attending the Argungu International Fishing and Cultural Festival, calling the visit poorly timed amid escalating insecurity in parts of the country.
In a statement issued on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party expressed concern over the worsening security situation in Kwara State, warning that armed groups were gradually tightening their hold on some communities.
President Tinubu had travelled to Kebbi State on Saturday for a one-day visit during which he commissioned projects and attended the Argungu Fishing Festival.
However, the ADC argued that the President’s presence at the cultural event came at a time when violent attacks and abductions were intensifying.
The party said it was troubled that the Commander-in-Chief chose to participate in a public celebration despite reports that hundreds of Nigerians had been killed in recent weeks, with many others, including women and children, still in captivity.
“We are especially concerned that at a time of rising insecurity, the President and Commander-in-Chief was in Argungu attending a fishing festival, even as credible reports indicate that nearly 1,300 Nigerians have been killed in the last 41 days. Once again, innocent Nigerians and their families are left to bear the tragic brunt of terror while the President attends a festival.”
It also referenced a video allegedly released by kidnappers linked to recent attacks in Kaiama Local Government Area, which it said cast doubt on official figures regarding the number of abducted victims.
According to the ADC, insecurity that had affected southern Kwara over the past year now appears to be spreading northward, raising fears that the state could become a strategic base for armed groups.
The opposition party has called for immediate and coordinated rescue operations to secure the release of abducted victims and urged the Nigerian Government to provide a transparent update clarifying discrepancies in reported casualty and abduction figures.
It also demanded an urgent security review of the Kaiama and Kainji Lake forest areas and stronger interstate collaboration among Kwara, Niger and Oyo states to prevent further attacks.
Reaffirming its stance against ransom payments, the ADC cautioned that any form of negotiation that fuels criminal activity could further entrench kidnapping networks.
It maintained that while the safe return of victims remains critical, government actions must not embolden armed groups or weaken public confidence in national security efforts.
