Boko Haram took root during your presidency, Tinubu’s aide blasts Obasanjo
By Jeffrey Agbo
Sunday Dare, Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication to President Bola Tinubu, has faulted former President Olusegun Obasanjo and other opposition figures for what he described as attempts to discredit the administration’s handling of the nation’s security challenges.
In a statement released via his X handle on Sunday and titled “Between Tinubu’s Capability and the Ignobility of Pseudo Statesmanship,” Dare criticised recent remarks by Obasanjo and “habitual presidential aspirants” who he said are portraying the Tinubu government as weak in confronting terrorism.
Dare argued that the criticisms overlook the complex realities of national security and amount to “capitulation” rather than responsible leadership.
Obasanjo, alongside former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other past presidential contenders, had in recent weeks raised alarm over escalating attacks in various parts of the country and questioned the Tinubu administration’s reliance on non-kinetic strategies.
Speaking at an event in Jos, Plateau State, on Friday, Obasanjo expressed worry over persistent violence, insisting that Nigerians have the right to seek external assistance if the government fails in its duty to protect lives.
“No matter what religion you belong to. No matter where you come from. No matter your profession, we Nigerians are being killed, and our government seems to be incapable of protecting us.
“We are part of the world community. If our government cannot do it, we have the right to call on the international community to do for us what our government cannot do for us,” he said.
Responding, Dare described Obasanjo’s comments as “hypocritical and ignoble,” saying they dismiss the historical context in which Boko Haram evolved. He insisted the insurgent movement took shape during Obasanjo’s civilian administration.
“The suggestion that Nigeria should effectively subcontract its internal security to foreign governments is not statesmanship; it is capitulation.
“Before recommending surrender, the former President should reflect on what he failed to do when these terrorists first began organising under his watch,” the statement reads in part.
“It is historical fact that the ideological foundations and early cells of Boko Haram were incubated during Obasanjo’s civilian presidency. While they recruited, indoctrinated, built camps, and flaunted authority, the state failed to act decisively.
“What began as a preventable extremist sect transformed into a violent insurgency, a cross-border terrorist franchise, a regional menace aligned with global jihadist movements.
“For the leader under whom the first seeds of terrorism were allowed to germinate to now issue public lectures is not just ironic, it is reckless,” Dare added.
He said Tinubu is responding to terrorism through a blend of military pressure, intelligence operations, renewed governance in vulnerable communities, and counter-radicalisation programmes.
Dare warned that public statements belittling the government’s capabilities only serve to embolden extremist groups.
“When former leaders disparage the nation’s capacity, they hand psychological victories to the very terrorists murdering, kidnapping, and extorting Nigerians.
“If Obasanjo wishes to help, he should acknowledge the past failures that allowed terrorists to gain a foothold, and then support ongoing efforts, not undermine them.
“Let him put his position and connections at Nigeria’s disposal like he has done for other countries. Not seek to put down an administration that is fully engaging on many fronts: economic turnaround, providing security, and building key infrastructure,” he added.
Dare urged Nigerians to rally behind the administration’s ongoing security initiatives.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains committed to securing every inch of Nigeria by confronting terrorists with strength, unity, and a whole-of-government strategy. Let all patriots join hands now and not raise alarms.
“This administration will not be distracted by selective amnesia wrapped in elder-statesmanship, nor will it allow those who midwifed Nigeria’s early security failures to rewrite history,” Dare said.
