Sunday Dare, Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication to President Bola Tinubu, has criticised former President Olusegun Obasanjo and other critics for what he described as ignoble attempts to undermine the current administration’s efforts to combat terrorism in Nigeria.
In a statement titled Between Tinubu’s Capability and the Ignobility of Pseudo Statesmanship, issued via his X handle on Sunday, Dare addressed recent comments from Obasanjo and habitual presidential aspirants portraying the Tinubu government as incapable of protecting Nigerians.
Dare argued that such criticisms ignore the reality of widespread terrorist threats and amount to capitulation rather than genuine statesmanship.
Obasanjo and other opposition leaders, including ex–Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former presidential candidates, had in recent weeks criticised the rising attacks in the country and faulted the Federal Government’s non-kinetic approach.
Speaking at an event in Jos, Plateau State, on Friday, Obasanjo expressed displeasure over worsening insecurity, stating that Nigerians have the right to seek foreign intervention in what he described as the government’s failure to protect citizens.
He said Nigerians were being killed regardless of religion, origin, or profession and argued that if the government could not provide protection, the international community should assist.
Reacting, Dare described the ex-president’s comments as hypocritical and ignoble, saying they ignored historical realities and insisting that Boko Haram incubated and grew under Obasanjo’s civilian administration.
According to Dare, the suggestion that Nigeria should subcontract its internal security to foreign governments amounts to surrender rather than statesmanship.
He said the former president should reflect on what was not done when terrorists first began organising during his tenure.
Dare maintained that the ideological foundations and early cells of Boko Haram were incubated during Obasanjo’s presidency, noting that while the group recruited, indoctrinated, built camps, and openly challenged authority, the state failed to act decisively.
He added that it was ironic and reckless for a leader under whose watch the first seeds of terrorism were allowed to germinate to now issue public lectures on security failures.
The presidential aide stressed that the Tinubu administration is confronting a multifaceted terrorist threat through a combination of military pressure, intelligence-led operations, restoration of governance in contested areas, as well as community engagement and counter-radicalisation programmes.
Dare warned that undermining the government’s capacity could embolden terrorists, arguing that when former leaders disparage the nation’s efforts, they hand psychological victories to groups involved in killing, kidnapping, and extortion.
He said that if Obasanjo wished to help, he should acknowledge past failures that allowed terrorists to gain a foothold and then support ongoing efforts rather than undermine them.
Dare also urged the former president to deploy his influence and international connections in support of Nigeria, instead of criticising an administration he said is actively pursuing economic recovery, improved security, and infrastructure development.
Calling on Nigerians to support the government’s security strategies, Dare said President Tinubu remains committed to securing every inch of the country through strength, unity, and a whole-of-government approach.
He added that the administration would not be distracted by what he termed selective amnesia masked as elder statesmanship, nor would it allow those he accused of midwifing Nigeria’s early security failures to rewrite history.
