The African Democratic Congress (ADC), through its National Spox, Bolaji Abdullahi, has reacted to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu attending the Argungu Fishing Festival in Kebbi State in the midst of “rising insecurity”.
The Coalition Party made known its frets, saying, even with “credible” reports that revealed almost “1,300” Nigerians have been killed in the last “41 days”, the President and Commander-in-Chief still created the time to be present at the Festival.
Via X, Bolaji Abdullahi said, innocent Nigerians are abandoned to suffer the “tragic” impact of terror while the first citizen of the country “fiddles away” in Argungu.
Abdullahi said: “The African Democratic Congress, ADC, is concerned that at a time of rising insecurity, the President and Commander-in-Chief was in Argungu attending a fishing festival, even as credible reports indicate that nearly 1,300 Nigerians have been killed in the last 41 days. Once again, innocent Nigerians and their families are left to bear the tragic brunt of terror while the President fiddles away at a festival.”
At the Argungu Fishing Festival in Kebbi State, over “50,000” fishermen converged for different cultural activities, encompassing, fishing, wrestling matches, musical performances among other activities.
The winner is known by the weightiest fish caught.
Abdullahi said, the Coalition Party is “greatly disturbed by a video that emerged “allegedly released by terrorists in connection with the recent abductions in Kaiama Local Government Area, challenging official figures on the number of kidnapped victims”.
He said, it is “troubling” to see terrorists become courageous enough to “publicly” challenge figures released by officials, adding, it brings about worries about how the security and information sectors are managed.
The ADC Spox said: “When non-state actors become sufficiently emboldened to publicly contradict official figures, it signals a troubling erosion of deterrence and raises serious questions about the management of both the security and information environments.”
He continued, these terrorists now see “kidnapping” as business, and will not allow themselves to be cheated on ransom negotiations.
Abdullahi said, the ADC remains firm on its position that payment made as ransom to terrorists will only burgeon the “criminal economy” that helps “mass abductions” prevail.
He said: “Terrorists now view kidnapping as a commercial enterprise, and they are determined not to be short-changed in the ransom negotiations they expect will follow.
“On previous occasions, we have reiterated our longstanding position that the payment of ransom to terrorists, whether directly or indirectly, risks further entrenching the criminal economy that sustains mass abductions.
“While the safe return of victims remains paramount, disguising ransom payments as rescue operations only creates perverse incentives for future attacks.”
