• Opposition faults President’s foreign trips, seeks emergency rule in Zamfara, Katsina
• PDP in strategic meetings ahead of convention, weighs Wike’s fate, maps 2027 path
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) and a coalition of prominent Nigerians have warned that the nation is teetering on the brink of security collapse, urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare emergency measures and establish a national security task force.
In a joint statement signed by Osita Chidoka, Frank Nweke Jnr, Kadaria Ahmed, Tonye Cole, Jamila Bio Ibrahim, Sergius Ogun, Ismaeel Ahmed, Sam Amadi, Opeyemi Adamolekun and others, the coalition decried the scale of killings, citing Amnesty International figures that put the number of violent deaths in Nigeria at 10,217 over the past two years. They noted that the bloodshed rivals civilian casualties in global conflict zones such as Ukraine, Gaza and Syria.
According to the statement, Benue State recorded 6,896 deaths and more than 450,000 displaced persons, Plateau recorded 2,630 deaths, while over 600 villages have been sacked in Zamfara. It also cited the resurgence of Boko Haram in the North East and persistent violence by armed groups in the South East.
“The Nigerian state has surrendered its monopoly on the legitimate use of force,” the coalition declared. “What began as local disputes has morphed into sectarian wars and criminal fiefdoms, fuelled by weapons, poverty and impunity.”
The group called for the creation of a time-bound, independent and results-driven Presidential Task Force with extraordinary powers to coordinate security agencies, disarm armed groups, reintegrate displaced persons and issue quarterly public reports to restore confidence.
It warned against ethnic scapegoating, stressing that attackers come from various communities across the country. “This is a Nigerian problem with Nigerian faces. Justice must be blind to identity,” the statement read.
Citing global examples in Rwanda, Colombia and Northern Ireland, the group urged political, traditional and religious leaders to confront hard truths and build consensus for peace.
“Nigeria stands on a knife-edge,” the statement warned. “History will not judge the bandits. It will judge us who had the power to protect, and either rose to this moment or shrank from it.”
SIMILARLY, the African Democratic Congress criticised continued foreign travels by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and called for a state of emergency in Zamfara and Katsina states following a wave of attacks that has claimed more than 140 lives in two months.
The party said dozens of worshippers and villagers were killed in Katsina, describing the development as fresh evidence of Nigeria’s collapsed security system.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC asked President Tinubu to stop “jet-setting across the world” and urgently declare a state of emergency in the affected states.
The party also faulted the decision of PDP governors to hold a political meeting in Zamfara only days after scores of people were killed there, describing the action as insensitive.
“The African Democratic Congress is deeply outraged and concerned by the recent massacre in Malumfashi Local Council of Katsina State, where 30 worshippers were shot dead in a mosque during dawn prayers, and 20 villagers were burned alive in their homes,” the statement read.
“This evil act epitomises the horrors that Nigerians have been forced to endure under this administration. It is also a damning proof of the total collapse of our national security architecture, which has prompted even the nation’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) to ask citizens to learn how to defend themselves.
“The carnage in Katsina comes on the heels of the recent killings in Zamfara, where 47 people were slaughtered, including 38 hostages murdered even after ransom was paid. And only this month, no fewer than 45 more Nigerians have been killed in Zamfara, with entire villages ransacked, and dozens abducted.”
The ADC noted that over 140 Nigerians had been murdered in two months in the two states.
“It is disheartening to note that instead of confronting these urgent national tragedies with the seriousness that they demand, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu continues to jet-set across the world, chasing photo-ops, while his people are dying in dozens at home. We wish to remind Mr President that diplomacy abroad is meaningless if safety and security at home cannot be guaranteed.
“It is equally appalling to note that President Tinubu has not made a direct statement of condolence to families of victims or given the assurance of safety to those still alive. This negligence would have been unthinkable in those countries that the President loves to visit.”
The party called for an immediate declaration of a state of emergency in Katsina and Zamfara “until the government is able to stem the tide of bloodshed in those places and restore some order.”
It also demanded a re-evaluation of Nigeria’s security system, saying: “The recent call by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) for citizens to acquire self-defence skills is perhaps the most honest indicator yet that there is a need to rethink the entire internal defence system.”
On the PDP governors’ meeting in Zamfara, the party said: “Instead of the governors to rally around their beleaguered colleague to help stop the orgy of killings, they chose to stage a political rally at the scene of mass murder, even if it meant trampling on the memory of the victims. The photos of PDP governors in full ceremonial robes, grinning for the camera is totally out of place in an environment that still reeks of so much blood and sorrow.
“This act alone further underlines an important fact: neither the ruling APC nor the incurably afflicted PDP care about the people and their suffering. They only care about power and politics.”
MEANWHILE, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has stepped up preparations for the 2027 general elections, scheduling a series of meetings this week aimed at strengthening its position against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Over the weekend, PDP governors under the Governors’ Forum met in Gusau to deliberate on plans for the November 15–16 national convention in Ibadan and other strategies to reposition the party.
Yesterday evening, the National Working Committee (NWC) held a closed-door meeting at the party’s Wadata Plaza headquarters, ahead of its 102nd National Executive Committee (NEC) session slated for Monday, August 25.
Party officials said the meeting centred on the submission of the zoning committee’s report led by Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri. The report, believed to have been handed to the NWC through the National Secretary, outlines recommendations on the allocation of national offices.
Those present at the meeting included the acting National Chairman, Illiya Damagum, National Publicity Secretary, Debo Olugunagba, as well as the National Secretary, National Youth Leader, National Treasurer, National Organising Secretary, Financial Secretary and Legal Adviser, among others.
Key agenda items included reports from committees chaired by Governor Ahmadu Fintiri on the forthcoming convention and Governor Diri on zoning arrangements, alongside discussions on possible disciplinary action against Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, over his open support for President Bola Tinubu.
The party’s national caucus, which comprises the Board of Trustees, governors and other key stakeholders, also met at the Bauchi State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja to determine which zones will produce the next set of party leaders and to address internal disputes.
Today, the Board of Trustees, chaired by Senator Adolphus Wabara, will meet ahead of the NEC session, where adoption of the zoning report is expected to top the agenda.
Between tomorrow and September 1, PDP zonal executives are scheduled to hold meetings across the country to begin mobilisation and align with the zoning framework ahead of the November convention. Party leaders have indicated that no media briefing will be held until after tomorrow’s meetings.
