ADC to Tinubu: Step Out and Witness What Nigerians Face Daily

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on President Bola Tinubu to leave the comfort of the Presidential Villa and engage directly with everyday Nigerians to better understand the country’s worsening security situation.

According to Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesperson for the opposition coalition, the president is being misled by state governors and close advisers who are painting a distorted picture of national security. Abdullahi argued that many leaders are more interested in political appeasement than in conveying the harsh realities faced by citizens.

“President Tinubu needs to step outside the Villa, interact with ordinary people, and stop relying on filtered reports that suggest insecurity is under control,” he said. “Many governors are simply telling him what they think he wants to hear.”

The remarks came in response to recent claims by a presidential aide who asserted that the security situation in the country has improved under the current administration, citing reduced violence in parts of Benue, Plateau, and the South-East.

The aide described ongoing security challenges as criminal acts unrelated to governance, suggesting that such issues exist globally and should not be seen as a failure of leadership.

But the ADC rejected this view, warning that it risks giving the president a false sense of progress. Abdullahi said the daily experiences of Nigerians in many communities tell a different story.

“I genuinely feel sorry for the president if these are the kinds of narratives he hears regularly. It means he’s being kept in a bubble,” Abdullahi said. “Across Nigeria, people are living under the constant threat of violence and insecurity. That reality cannot be ignored.”

The ADC urged the president to take a more hands-on approach to assessing the country’s security landscape, warning that continued reliance on secondhand reports could prevent meaningful action and further disconnect leadership from the people.