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By Ayo Kehinde
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has criticized President Bola Tinubu for his handling of Monday’s deadly blast in Maiduguri, Borno State, which killed 23 people and injured 108 others.
President Tinubu, in a statement on Tuesday, condemned the attack and ordered the immediate deployment of all service chiefs to the Borno State capital to strengthen security operations and prevent further attacks.
But reacting via his official handle
“Terrorists do not know the difference between APC supporters and opposition sympathisers, and it is therefore useless to dismiss honest advice as politically motivated,” Atiku said.
He stressed that Nigerians, especially victims of the insurgency, are more concerned about concrete results than official statements.
“A mother in Maiduguri doesn’t ask for press releases. She wonders why her son was blown up in a place the government claimed had been liberated,” he added.
The former vice president also expressed concern about the president’s ongoing trip to the United Kingdom, arguing that the timing sends the wrong signal amid renewed violence in the North East.
“Our soldiers are dying with obsolete equipment while the President is on a state visit to Britain, while body parts are being collected in Borno,” he added.
Atiku also called King Charles III’s attention to the situation, claiming that the president had left behind “fresh graves and weeping widows” while on diplomatic engagements abroad.
He warned that treating the deadly attacks as routine while dismissing criticism could erode public trust in the government.
“A government that treats funerals as routine and criticism as treason has lost the moral authority to lead it. You cannot campaign for 2027 on the graves of people you failed to protect in 2026,” he said.
Atiku also accused the administration of focusing more on suppressing opposition voices than addressing the worsening security situation, stressing that Nigerians are increasingly demanding tangible improvements.
“The resurgence of terrorism has the potential to erode public confidence in the government’s ability to protect its citizens. Nigerians are not impressed by statements condemning attacks; they want results. Results speak louder than rhetoric,” he concluded.
He warned that the growing wave of attacks against both civilians and military personnel is reviving memories of 2014, when rebel activities peaked in some parts of the country.
While praising the sacrifices of security forces engaged in counterinsurgency operations, Atiku urged the Tinubu administration to urgently review its security strategy to curb the escalation of violence and restore public confidence.
