Tinubu Has Done More For Security Than PDP Did In 16 Years – Presidency Fires Back

According to Ireporter Online, the Presidency has faulted claims by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, accusing him of deliberately misrepresenting the security situation in Nigeria.

The Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, asserted that the current administration has recorded more tangible progress in the security sector within two years than the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) achieved during its 16 years in power, when Abdullahi served as a minister.

Olusegun’s reaction followed a post by Abdullahi on Saturday via his X handle, where he alleged that escalating insecurity across parts of the country, including Kwara and Katsina states, was evidence that Nigeria lacks effective governance. Abdullahi described the continued attacks and loss of lives as proof of governmental failure.

Responding to the assertion, the presidential aide accused the former minister of intellectual dishonesty and engaging in what he described as “reverse psychology” to distort public perception. He maintained that while recent security challenges are regrettable and condemnable, portraying the situation as evidence of an absence of government was misleading and inaccurate.

Olusegun outlined several measures implemented by the Tinubu administration to address insecurity, including increased defence funding, sustained military operations, and reforms aimed at decentralising security architecture. He noted that defence spending rose significantly between 2023 and 2025, enabling improved coordination among security agencies and the disruption of major terrorist networks.

He further disclosed that ongoing military campaigns have resulted in the surrender of over 160,000 Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters and their families, alongside the neutralisation of thousands of terrorists and the rescue of several hostages since 2023.

The presidential aide also highlighted efforts to fast-track state and local policing, with several states already launching community-based security initiatives such as forest guards and mining marshals. He added that the establishment of new army recruitment depots in Osogbo and Ebonyi was approved to decentralise enlistment and boost manpower across the armed forces.

According to Olusegun, the administration has also undertaken a comprehensive overhaul of the national security framework, including the adoption of a new counterterrorism doctrine that designates all armed non-state actors as terrorists, as reflected in the 2026 budget.

He cited the creation of institutions such as the Ministry of Livestock Development to address farmer-herder conflicts and the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education to reduce the vulnerability of youths to recruitment by armed groups.

Olusegun added that enhanced equipment procurement has strengthened the operational capacity of the Nigerian Air Force, with the acquisition of new surveillance aircraft and helicopters, leading to thousands of successful missions and flying hours.

He concluded that Nigerians who experienced both the PDP and APC administrations would not be misled by what he described as attempts to rewrite history, insisting that the current government’s commitment to tackling insecurity is evident and ongoing.