Oshiomhole Backs Tinubu’s Security Responses

Former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Adams Oshiomhole, has defended President Bola Tinubu’s handling of Nigeria’s security challenges.

The former Edo State governor insisted that despite ongoing attacks in parts of the country, significant progress has been recorded.

Speaking on Politics Today on Channels Television on Monday, Oshiomhole urged critics to acknowledge improvements achieved through enhanced security operations and intelligence coordination.

According to him, “Let no one deny that progress has been made,” even though fresh incidents of terrorism and kidnapping continue to raise public concern.

Oshiomhole noted that the president has intensified efforts across security agencies, including cooperation with the Department of State Services (DSS) in arresting high-profile terrorists.

“I have seen, regardless of what people say, how the DSS helped to apprehend some notorious terrorists wanted within and outside Nigeria. Nobody is pretending that everything is over,” he said. “But just because the child is not yet fit to play football does not mean the surgery hasn’t been successfully carried out. Progress is real, and it is ongoing.”

The senator recalled a time when Boko Haram controlled vast territories in the North-East, forcing postponement of national elections. He argued that the country has moved significantly beyond that dark era.

“I was in this country where we were forced to postpone national elections because Boko Haram had taken over and installed foreign flags in about 18 local government areas in the North-East. Compared to then, you can’t say nothing has changed,” he insisted.

Oshiomhole, however, expressed concern over judgements delivered in some terrorism cases, questioning why individuals convicted of grievous offences were not receiving the maximum penalty prescribed by law.

“The only worry I have as far as those convictions are concerned is that I don’t know the power of the judges. We heard the court pronounce, the law says, it shall be sentenced to death if guilty of terrorism and it’s just sentenced to 20 years. I’m unable to understand that,” He said. “Different judges rewriting the law passed by a parliament, but the business of the judge is to interpret.

“So those kind of cases, I’m sure the president will also be looking at those. If you have killed so many people and there you are apprehended, why should any judge grant you any clemency that he not have a power in law to do? Only the president can exercise the power of clemency,”

The former APC chairman also suggested that some recent attacks may have political undertones as the election season approaches, describing certain actors as “so hungry for power” that they might exploit insecurity to create fear or chaos.

“It won’t be surprising if some frustrated people are taking steps to reopen kidnapping and school attacks. And so like every hungry guy, they will go to any length to take measures that may appear as we move further to the election to reopen this kidnapping and targeting of schools, et cetera, et cetera. It’s not very unfortunate,” he added.

Oshiomhole highlighted several steps taken by the president, including authorising the Inspector-General of Police to recruit 30,000 additional police officers.

“The president is not sleeping. He’s holding meetings, giving directives, and strengthening the police so the military no longer performs routine police duties,” he said.

He also referenced Senate resolutions urging recruitment of more personnel into the armed forces, including military veterans, to bridge the widening gap between Nigeria’s population growth and the size of its security apparatus.

While acknowledging the complexity of the current situation, Oshiomhole maintained that Tinubu is committed to tackling insecurity head-on.

“There can be no overnight solution,” he said. “But does this president care? Yes. Is he taking steps? Yes. Are people being apprehended? Yes. So let no one deny that progress has been made.”