The African Democratic Congress has condemned President Bola Tinubu’s attendance at the Argungu Fishing Festival, describing the trip as ill-timed and insensitive amid worsening insecurity.
In a statement on Sunday, the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, cautioned that terrorists are gradually consolidating control over parts of Kwara State.
PUNCH Online reports that on Saturday, Tinubu paid a one-day visit to Kebbi State, where, in addition to commissioning projects, he attended the Argungu Fishing Festival.
Reacting, the ADC criticised the President for participating in the festival despite escalating terror attacks, noting that many Nigerians have been killed within 41 days, while hundreds, including nursing mothers and children, remain in captivity.
The coalition party stated, “The African Democratic Congress, ADC, is deeply troubled by the continued deterioration of the security situation in parts of the country, particularly in Kwara State.
“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.
“We are also greatly disturbed by the emergence of a video allegedly released by terrorists in connection with the recent abductions in Kaiama Local Government Area, challenging official figures on the number of kidnapped victims. This development comes amid fresh reports of terrorist activity in Patigi Local Government Area of the same state as recently as last night.
“It will be recalled that the southern part of Kwara State has been under sustained terrorist pressure since last year. Now, with attacks spreading northward at scale, terrorists appear to be tightening their grip on the state and exploiting it as a potential safe haven. The implications for the wider country are both clear and alarming. It is therefore shocking that the President could choose to attend a fishing festival while terrorists threaten to expand their operations.”
The ADC pledged to keep the Federal Government accountable while backing all genuine efforts to combat terrorism and recover every inch of the nation’s territory, stressing that Nigeria must not project weakness in the face of terror.
It continued, “For clarity, we wish to underline the strategic significance of what is unfolding in Kwara State. The Kaiama axis provides a direct link to Oyo State. Any sustained insurgent activity within this corridor could therefore create wider vulnerabilities across parts of the North Central and South West. The situation in Kwara State must not be treated as an isolated incident but as a potential early warning of geographic expansion by terror actors.
“When non-state actors become sufficiently emboldened to publicly contradict official figures, it signals a troubling erosion of deterrence and raises serious questions about the management of both the security and information environments. This could only mean one thing: the terrorists now view kidnapping as a commercial enterprise, and they are determined not to be short-changed in the ransom negotiations they expect will follow.
“On previous occasions, we have reiterated our longstanding position that the payment of ransom to terrorists, whether directly or indirectly, risks further entrenching the criminal economy that sustains mass abductions. While the safe return of victims remains paramount, disguising ransom payments as rescue operations only creates perverse incentives for future attacks.
“Given the gravity of the situation, the ADC expects the Federal Government to immediately undertake the following actions: First, mount a robust and well-coordinated rescue operation to bring every abducted Nigerian home safely.
“Second, issue a full and transparent public briefing that resolves the emerging discrepancies regarding the number of victims. Third, order an urgent security audit of the Kaiama and Kainji Lake forest corridor. Fourth, deploy strengthened interstate security coordination across the Kwara, Niger, and Oyo axis to shut down further terrorist movement. Fifth, maintain regular and credible public communication to restore confidence and deny terrorists the advantage of propaganda.”
