58
By Myke Agunwa
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has advised President Bola Tinubu to either “seek urgent help or resign honourably” following what it described as an alarming escalation of insecurity across the country, particularly the kidnapping of over 340 students in one week.
In a press conference on Sunday in Abuja at the Bauchi State Governors Lodge Asokoro, the PDP expressed deep outrage over the renewed wave of mass abductions, saying the nation had been thrown into a “state of permanent fear” due to the Federal Government’s inability to guarantee safety of lives and property.
The party lamented that Nigeria has, under the current administration, become a safe haven for criminal syndicates, who now operate with unprecedented boldness, raiding schools, villages, highways and even security formations with little resistance.
The PDP said the kidnapping of more than 340 students in Kaduna, Sokoto and parts of the North-West within days should have compelled the President to overhaul the country’s security architecture, seek international assistance or step aside for someone capable of confronting the menace.
According to the opposition party, the silence and “lack of urgency” displayed by the Presidency since the incidents occurred further demonstrate the government’s disconnect from the suffering of ordinary Nigerians.
It said millions of parents were now afraid to send their children to school, while rural communities have been deserted due to repeated attacks by bandits, terrorists and kidnappers operating freely across several states.
The PDP is alarmed that “under President Tinubu’s watch, over 340 schoolchildren were abducted in just one week, yet there has been no concrete action, no accountability, no strategy and no assurance to Nigerians. This is a catastrophic failure of leadership.”
The party accused the government of prioritizing politics, international travel and economic policies “that have compounded poverty,” while neglecting the core responsibility of protecting citizens.
It argued that President Tinubu’s security promises had “collapsed under the weight of reality,” as bandits now move in convoys, attack schools in broad daylight, and hold hundreds hostage for ransom without consequence.
The PDP insisted that no responsible government would watch helplessly while children are snatched from classrooms and families are forced into lifelong trauma. It demanded immediate rescue operations for the abducted students, the deployment of modern security technology, improved intelligence coordination and the dismissal of top security chiefs who have failed to deliver results.
It also called on the National Assembly to rise above partisan interests and summon the President over the worsening insecurity, saying Nigeria cannot continue “on the dangerous path of bloodshed, kidnappings and mass displacement.”
The PDP maintained that if President Tinubu cannot secure the country, he must “seek help or vacate the office for someone who can.”
Parents of the abducted students have continued to cry out for government intervention, describing their ordeal as unbearable. Security agencies say efforts are ongoing, but Nigerians are demanding faster, more decisive action to bring the children home safely.