ADC Condemns Maiduguri Bomb Blasts, AppealsTinubu to return home.
-Says President should focus less on politics.

By George Mgbeleke

Saddened by the increasing insecurity in parts of the country,African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned the bomb blasts that struck Maiduguri, Borno State, on Monday night leaving 23 people dead and hundreds others injured. In a statement issued on Tuesday by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party expressed sympathy with the victims and their families.
The ADC also raised concerns about what it described as a lack of leadership focus at a critical moment, noting that President Bola Tinubu is currently outside the country while senior officials responsible for national security are reportedly engaged in partisan political activities. According to the ADC, the protection of lives and property must take precedence over political distractions and diplomatic ceremonies. It therefore calls on President Tinubu to urgently return to the country and attend to his primary job of protecting lives.

The full statement read:

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) strongly condemns the bomb blasts that have shaken Maiduguri, Borno State, leaving innocent Nigerians dead and many others injured.

Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and the people of Maiduguri, a city that has endured more than its fair share of pain over the years. Terrorism anywhere in Nigeria is an attack on all Nigerians. At moments like this, the country must stand together with the people who have been affected.

We commend the courage of first responders and security personnel who are working to assist the injured and restore calm. But this tragic incident also raises the persistent questions about the state of security in our country. Maiduguri, which in recent years had begun to experience a measure of stability after the darkest days of the insurgency, should not be returning to a situation where coordinated bomb attacks once again threaten the safety of ordinary citizens going about their daily lives.
Moments like this demand the full and undivided attention of the nation’s leadership. It is therefore troubling that the President is currently outside the country at a time when such a serious attack on national security occurred.
At a time when Nigerian soldiers and civilians are being wilfully killed by terrorists, those charged with protecting the country are focused on politics of self-succession. The National Security Adviser is going after opposition figures and calling bandits his “brothers”, while the Minister of Defence is on television planning the APC national convention. This is not leadership. It is a dangerous distraction, and it is costing lives.

In case this government has forgotten, those being killed by terrorists are not just numbers. Those soldiers being mowed down by bandits are people’s children, husbands, fathers and families. In any serious country, a devastating security breach would command the full attention of government. Leaders would return home, address the nation, and take responsibility.
Instead, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is abroad, exchanging pleasantries with the King and Queen of England while Nigerians mourn and soldiers are being buried. Not a word has been spared for the victims or the brave soldiers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in service of Nigeria. The oath of office is clear, the primary duty of government is the protection of lives, and that duty is certainly not being met by this APC government.
The protection of lives and property is the most basic responsibility of any government. It cannot be treated as secondary to political distractions or competing priorities. The ADC therefore calls on President Tinubu to return immediately to the country and show, for once, that he cares about something else other than his politics.
We also think it is about time that government started to take full responsibilities for every life lost that could have been protected by paying compensation to the families of victims, whether military or civilians. Although no amount of money can fully compensate for a lost life, but by penalising itself this way, government would have started to accept responsibility.
It is no longer enough for government to merely issue condolences and condemnations. It is its first job to protect lives. And Nigeria cannot continue on a path where the loss of lives becomes routine. We are only in the third month of the year, and already thousands of Nigerians have been killed in violent attacks across the country, while the President continues to make merry, enjoying the sweetness of the only thing he truly cares about: politics. This is unacceptable, as it is condemnable.

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By Our Correspondent

As 2027 election draws close, a coalition of South-East advocacy organisations has called on political parties in Nigeria to zone their presidential tickets to the South-East ahead of the 2027 Nigerian General Elections, insisting that justice, fairness and national balance demand that the region produce the next President of the country.

The groups made the declaration on Monday during a special joint press conference held in Enugu by the South East Enlightenment Group, the Igbo Leadership Development Foundation, and other stakeholders within the African Democratic Congress.

Speaking to journalists, the National President of the South East Enlightenment Group, Dr Godwin Udibe, said the coalition convened the briefing following the recent release of the election timetable by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

According to him, the timetable signals the beginning of political activities ahead of the 2027 elections, making it necessary for the region to restate its long-standing demand for equity and rotation of presidential power.

Udibe argued that the South-East has remained the only geopolitical zone in southern Nigeria yet to produce a President in the current democratic dispensation.

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He noted that under the Fourth Nigerian Republic, the South-West has produced the President three times, the South-South once, while the South-East has not had the opportunity.

“This reveals a frightening prospect for the South-East. The region appears to be steadily sidelined in the scheme of power play in Nigeria, with many of our people feeling alienated,” he said.

The coalition therefore urged all political parties to zone their presidential tickets to the South-East in the interest of national unity and fairness.

The groups recalled the political arrangement in 1998 when major political parties zoned their presidential tickets to the South-West following the annulment of the 1993 Nigerian presidential election.

They argued that a similar consensus would promote justice and strengthen the country’s democratic stability.

Udibe also expressed concern that the leading political platforms may not offer viable pathways for South-East aspirants.

He noted that within the All Progressives Congress, the presidential ticket appears secured for the incumbent President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while the African Democratic Congress has reportedly opened its race to contenders such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Rivers State Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.

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He further stated that both the People’s Democratic Party and the Labour Party are currently grappling with internal crises, which he described as making them “undesirable platforms for serious contenders.”

The groups also criticised what they described as a “poaching game” by the ruling APC, noting that the party currently has about 31 governors ruling on its platform across the federation.

However, Udibe argued that political defections do not necessarily translate into improved welfare for citizens in the South-East.

According to him, the development has further strengthened the resolve of regional stakeholders to pursue collective interests.

In a direct appeal, the coalition called on President Tinubu not to seek a second term in office in 2027 but instead support a South-East candidate to complete the remaining years of the South’s turn in the presidency.

“For equity’s sake, we call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to run for a second term in 2027 but to support a South-Easterner to clinch the presidency for a single term to complete eight years of southern presidency,” Udibe said.

He added that after such an arrangement, the presidency should return to the North in keeping with Nigeria’s informal power-rotation principle.

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The coalition also warned that South-East governors who oppose the region’s presidency project could face electoral backlash.

Udibe said the groups would mobilise voters across the South-East to reject any political leader perceived to be working against the region’s collective ambition.

“We will mobilise the South-East to vote out any governor working against the South-East presidency project,” he stated.

The groups concluded by reaffirming their commitment to rallying support across Nigeria for a South-East presidential candidate in 2027, insisting that the demand is rooted in fairness, national inclusion, and democratic balance