PDP Demands Tinubu Move to Kebbi After School Girls' Kidnapping

The PDP praised the president for canceling his planned visits to South Africa and Angola but stated that the move was inadequate. The Peopl...

The PDP praised the president for canceling his planned visits to South Africa and Angola but stated that the move was inadequate.

The People's Democratic Party (PDP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to temporarily move to Kebbi State after 24 schoolgirls were taken from the state.

The opposing party claimed that the president's personal visit to Kebbi would uplift the spirits of frontline soldiers and motivate security forces to step up their actions in saving the affected individuals.

The party called on the president to also move to other areas facing armed fighting throughout the nation.

This is Ememobong, the PDP's new spokesperson, who made the statement on Thursday.

He praised the president for canceling his planned visits to South Africa and Angola, but called the move inadequate.

The news that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has scrapped his scheduled visit to South Africa and Angola marks the most recent and daring instance of tokenism. Although this move might seem to align with the kidnapping of the Maga schoolgirls and the growing instability throughout the nation, especially in northern Nigeria, it is ultimately just a superficial act without real substance.

If the APC-backed presidency opposes this stance, we call on President Tinubu to temporarily move to Kebbi State and other areas experiencing violence in Northern Nigeria. This action would not only urge the security forces to take stronger measures in stopping the current bloodshed, but would also enhance the spirits of the soldiers serving at the frontlines.

"As the President and Commander-in-Chief, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu cannot afford to sit comfortably in the Presidential Villa while 25 schoolgirls remain missing after their abduction. He should exhibit leadership by taking the front line, as genuine leaders do during critical national crises," he stated.

PREMIUM TIMES previously mentioned that militants, equipped with advanced weaponry, attacked the school on motorcycles, took the students from their dormitory, killed the deputy principal, and injured a local security officer, Ali Maga.

Law enforcement officials and the Kebbi State Government verified the kidnappings, stating that a special unit confronted the assailants in a firefight, although the militants managed to flee through the school's fence.

This is not the first instance of large-scale abductions in Kebbi State. In June 2021, the Dogo Gide gang abducted approximately 80 students and five teachers from the Federal Government College in Birnin Yauri.

In 2014, Boko Haram seized hundreds of female students from Chibok in Borno State while the then-governor, Kashim Shettima, who is now Nigeria's vice president, was in charge.

In May 2021, militants attacked an Islamic school in Tegina, Niger State, abducting almost 200 students. The incident occurred just a few days after 14 students who had been taken from Greenfield University in Kaduna State were released.

In February of the same year, militants abducted almost 300 girls from a residential school in Jangebe, located in Zamfara State. Many of them were eventually released.

In 2024, militants abducted over 100 pupils from a combined primary school in Kuriga, Kaduna State. The children were released several months later, according to the government, which stated that no payment was made for their release.

On Tuesday, militants targeted a church in Eruku Village, located within the Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, seizing multiple attendees. Subsequently, armed forces were sent to the area.

Security, a daily experience

In the statement, the PDP mentioned that the assault in Kwara highlights how instability has turned into a routine part of life for Nigerians.

"The recent attacks in Kwara State reinforce our claim that insecurity and fear have turned into the everyday reality and new normal for Nigerians throughout the country. However, the APC-led government keeps making complete denials, offering justifications, hollow promises, and other shallow actions like the President's canceled visit," he stated.

The party claimed that without a planned approach, the canceled journey is merely another media tactic designed to gain public support instead of tackling the pressing security issues.

Without additional strategic measures, this trip cancellation will simply be another media stunt designed to gain public support and empathy, instead of addressing the pressing need to protect lives and property throughout Nigeria. If this were a political crisis (similar to the situation in Rivers State), President Tinubu would have utilized every available strategy and resource, both within and beyond legal boundaries, to resolve it.

"We are formally informing the President and his government that Nigerians have had enough of symbolic actions like expressions of sympathy and canceled trips. The country urgently needs strong leadership, practical measures, and real support for the security forces, particularly those on the front lines, instead of superficial actions aimed at gaining political advantage," the statement mentioned.

The PDP stated that Nigerians are weary of superficial actions and are calling for strong leadership along with consistent backing for the security agencies.

"The security of Nigerians should not be treated as just for show. Leadership needs to go beyond appearances and provide real, ongoing actions that rebuild public trust and safeguard lives and assets. This issue requires genuine commitment, not just symbols. The Presidency must step up or step aside for those who can," the party stated.

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