Olusegun Obasanjo, the former president, and other government critics have come under fire from the presidency for allegedly attempting to thwart President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to combat terrorism.
“Between Tinubu’s Capability and the Ignobility of Pseudo Statesmanship” is the headline of a statement released on Sunday by Sunday Dare, the President’s Special Advisor on Media and Public Communication.
He claimed that Obasanjo and “habitual presidential aspirants” were misrepresenting the Tinubu administration’s incapacity to defend Nigerians.
Dare characterized their remarks as “capitulation” rather than “true statesmanship” and claimed that their criticisms overlook the extent of terrorist dangers. In recent weeks, Obasanjo, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and other opposition figures have denounced escalating insecurity and questioned the government’s non-kinetic security posture.
Speaking at an event in Jos on Friday, Obasanjo expressed alarm over the insecurity, saying Nigerians have a right to seek external support if the government fails in its job.
He answered, “No matter what religion you belong to. regardless of your origins. We Nigerians are being assassinated regardless of our line of work, and our government doesn’t seem to be able to stop it.
“We belong to the global community. We have the right to ask the world community to help us if our government is unable to.
In response, Dare called Obasanjo’s comments “hypocritical and ignoble,” claiming that Obasanjo’s administration was when Boko Haram began to gain ground.
“The idea that Nigeria should essentially subcontract its internal security to foreign governments is not statesmanship; it is capitulation,” he declared.
“The former President should consider what he failed to do when these terrorists first started organizing under his watch before recommending surrender.”
The emergence of Boko Haram’s “ideological foundations and early cells” during Obasanjo’s administration, when the government failed to take effective action, is a “historical fact,” Dare continued.
He claims that what started out as a small extremist sect eventually developed into a violent insurgency and a regional threat that was in line with international jihadist activities.
He called it “reckless” that the group’s founder would now give public talks.
Dare emphasized that President Tinubu is combating terrorism through counter-radicalization initiatives, military action, intelligence operations, and the restoration of governance in impacted communities.
He cautioned that disparaging the government would give terrorists more confidence. “When former leaders disparage the nation’s capacity, they hand psychological victories to the very terrorists who are murdering, kidnapping, and extorting Nigerians,” he stated.
Obasanjo should help the government rather than undermine it, Dare continued, and admit previous mistakes.
He said Obasanjo should “put his position and connections at Nigeria’s disposal” rather than criticizing an administration working on economic recovery, security, and infrastructure.
He finished by stating that the administration will not be sidetracked by what he described as “selective amnesia wrapped in elder statesmanship” and that President Tinubu is still dedicated to protecting the nation.
