Senator Adams Oshiomhole rejects criticism that President Bola Tinubu lacks the political will to tackle Nigeria’s insecurity. Speaking in Abuja, Oshiomhole argues that insecurity is not driven by presidential inaction but by execution gaps at lower levels of government and security structures. He points to steps he says Tinubu has taken, including providing funding and supplementary budgets for security, issuing repeated directives to improve public safety, declaring a state of emergency, and replacing former service chiefs. Oshiomhole also emphasizes that security efforts should not be treated as partisan, adding that the president has repeatedly ordered security agencies to act.
While defending the administration’s commitment, Oshiomhole raises concerns about whether instructions from the top translate effectively on the ground. He cites issues including morale and conditions for lower-ranking personnel, as well as equipment and allowances. He also calls for improvements to inter-agency cooperation and notes that unhealthy rivalry among security agencies can undermine responses to banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism. Oshiomhole’s remarks are presented as a direct rebuttal to claims that ongoing violence reflects weak political will.
