The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately declare a state of emergency in Katsina and Zamfara States following a wave of deadly attacks that have claimed more than 140 lives in the last two months.
In a statement signed on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party described the latest massacre in Malumfashi, Katsina State, where gunmen killed 30 worshippers inside a mosque and set 20 villagers ablaze, as a glaring proof of Nigeria’s collapsed security architecture.
“This evil act epitomizes 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 Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) to ask citizens to learn how to defend themselves,” the statement read.
The ADC accused President Tinubu of neglecting urgent security concerns while traveling abroad.
“Instead of confronting these national tragedies with the seriousness they demand, President Tinubu continues to jet-set across the world, chasing photo opportunities, while his people are dying in dozens at home,” the party said.
The party further expressed disappointment that the President had not personally addressed the nation or reached out to grieving families.
“It is equally appalling 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 the countries the President loves to visit,” Abdullahi noted.
The ADC called for an urgent overhaul of Nigeria’s defence and security systems, referencing recent remarks by the CDS on self-defence as “the most honest indicator yet that the entire internal defence system needs rethinking.”
The statement also criticised PDP governors for holding a political meeting in Zamfara only days after dozens of villagers were killed.
“Instead of rallying 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,” it said.
The ADC concluded by stressing that both APC and PDP have failed Nigerians, adding:
“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.”
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