The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has issued a scathing rebuke of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, condemning the alarming rise of insecurity and the reported extortion of over ₦56 million from farmers in Zamfara State by armed bandits. The party described the situation as a “national surrender” and a clear sign that the Nigerian state is losing its grip on authority.
In a statement signed by ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party expressed deep concern over the viral footage showing an entire village in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State abandoned due to bandit threats. The ADC warned that these developments signal Nigeria’s descent into a dangerous phase of state failure.
“When criminals can tax citizens at gunpoint, it means the state has surrendered its monopoly of force,” Abdullahi said. “This is not just about insecurity—it’s about criminal elements contesting the right to govern parts of Nigeria.”
ADC recalled Tinubu’s 2014 call for President Jonathan’s resignation over Boko Haram, highlighting the irony of worsening conditions under Tinubu’s own leadership.
Despite the severity of the situation, the ADC clarified that it is not calling for President Tinubu’s resignation. Instead, the party urged him to fulfill his constitutional duty to protect Nigerian lives and property.
“We only ask him to do his job,” Abdullahi emphasized. “Why did the President think the situation in Rivers warranted a state of emergency, but not the industrial-scale kidnapping and bandit taxation in Zamfara?”