School Abductions: Focus on security, not reelection campaign, Atiku counsels Tinubu

By Omeiza Ajayi, Abuja

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2027 election, Atiku Abubakar, has counselled President Bola Tinubu to prioritise the security of Nigerians over campaign activities for the 2027 general election, even as he welcomed the rescue of abducted schoolchildren and teachers from Oyo State.

In a statement on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku commended the courage, professionalism and sacrifice of the officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies whose gallantry made the rescue operation possible.

The former vice president noted that it was particularly striking that the Ogbomoso schoolchildren and their teachers regained their freedom on the very day the national leadership of the president’s party launched its “Door-to-Door” campaign for the 2027 presidential election.

He said, “No serious government should be consumed by the politics of re-election while innocent schoolchildren have remained in the custody of kidnappers for weeks. The first campaign of any responsible administration must be the campaign to rescue its citizens, restore security and reassure anxious families. Politics can wait; the lives of innocent children cannot. Yesterday should have been dedicated to the war room, not the campaign room.”

Atiku said that while the military rose to the occasion, the presidency failed to rise to the moment.

“What Nigerians expected yesterday was to see a commander-in-chief leading from the front. Following the successful rescue operation, the president ought to have immediately addressed the nation alongside his defence chiefs—not merely to announce the good news, but to brief Nigerians on the operation; acknowledge the bravery of the troops; highlight the lessons learned; reassure families that no effort would be spared to rescue those still in captivity; and send an unmistakable message to bandits and terrorists that the Nigerian state remains resolute.

“Such moments are not ordinary press events; they are defining demonstrations of leadership that strengthen public confidence, boost military morale, and remind criminal elements that they are confronting a government that neither sleeps nor surrenders,” Atiku said.

Instead, he observed, the responsibility of announcing one of the most significant security successes in recent times was left to the president’s spokesman while the president remained publicly engaged in political activities.

The former vice president warned that symbolism matters greatly in the fight against terrorism. “When our troops accomplish a difficult mission, they deserve visible presidential recognition. When citizens witness their President speaking with conviction after such an operation, they draw strength and confidence. Equally, those who seek to terrorise our people are reminded that they are confronting a united and determined state. The opposite risks creating an unfortunate perception that politics has taken precedence over the solemn responsibility of securing the nation.

“There is an old African proverb that says, ‘When the drum of danger beats, the village chief does not send a messenger to dance in his place.’ Yesterday belonged to our brave soldiers, and they acquitted themselves with honour. But it should also have been the moment for the commander-in-chief to stand before the nation, salute their courage, comfort anxious families and send a chilling message to every bandit and terrorist that the Nigerian state will pursue them without rest until every captive is free. Leadership is not only measured by victories won on the battlefield but also by the courage displayed from the highest office in moments that define a nation,” Atiku said.

He stressed that the successful rescue of the Oyo schoolchildren should not distract the nation from the painful reality that many other Nigerians, including abducted schoolchildren and innocent citizens in Borno and several other parts of the country, remain in captivity.

According to him, the greatest campaign any president can undertake is not for re-election but for the safety and security of the Nigerian people.

Atiku urged the federal government to sustain relentless pressure on terrorists, bandits and kidnappers until every abducted Nigerian is rescued and every community under siege regains peace and security.