The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the APC-led Federal Government of failing in its primary duty to protect Nigerians, warning President Bola Tinubu to either seek help or ‘resign’ as school kidnappings surge across the country.
At a press briefing held on Sunday in Abuja, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, said the recent abductions of students in Kebbi and Niger States exposed the government’s inability to manage a worsening security crisis, especially in Northern Nigeria.
He said the administration’s contemplation of closing schools in affected states amounts to a complete ‘surrender’ to terrorists.
“We warn that this closure, if undertaken, like many of this administration’s quick-fix approaches to serious governance issues, will amount to a complete surrender to terrorists, whose sole aim is to shut down schools and prevent children from obtaining formal education,” the party said.
Ememobong said the PDP is alarmed that the Federal Government has still not offered a coordinated response despite multiple kidnappings in less than a week, describing the presidency’s approach as slow, unempathetic, and politically motivated.
“More troubling is the fact that when these unfortunate incidents happen, the administration’s response is usually lacklustre and unempathetic,” he said.
He criticised President Tinubu for delegating the response to the Minister of State for Defence rather than visiting the affected communities himself.
“Instead of the President visiting Kebbi and Niger States to meet and sympathise with the parents of the children who are in captivity, and to address the security personnel there, he merely directed the Minister of State for Defence to relocate to Kebbi,” the PDP stated.
The party spokesperson argued that school closures would worsen the already dire education deficit in the North, where UNICEF reports that the majority of Nigeria’s 18.3 million out-of-school children live.
He said the government should instead fund and fully implement the National Policy on Safety, Security and Violence-Free Schools, anchored on community intelligence and rapid response systems.
“Insecurity in schools will be a big disincentivisation for education in the country, especially in Northern Nigeria,” Ememobong said.
Commenting further on the national implications, he stressed that time lost to prolonged school shutdowns would deepen educational inequality and damage the country’s global academic standing.
“Examinations will not wait for security. So these children are either going to lose one term, lose two terms, or lose a year. Time lost can never be regained,” he explained.
He also called for stronger cooperation between citizens and security agencies, noting that the collapse of trusted community-level intelligence has left many communities vulnerable.
“Now we no longer have a trusted interface between the security services and the citizens, and so we are saying that we must go back to the government… and we begin to analyse and address these issues comprehensively,” the PDP said.
On whether Nigeria should request international assistance, the opposition party said the decision lies with the government, but insisted that the President must acknowledge if he is overwhelmed.
“If they feel they are overwhelmed, let them tell us… Normally, we have the international partners who can help. But if you do not invite them, you can become a local meddlesome interloper if you seek to help,” Ememobong explained.
He further gave a direct charge to the President, saying: “At any time, government is unwilling, unable, or incapable of executing this primary role, such a government must either ask for help (locally or internationally) or honourably resign, if it is sincere and responsible.”
