The African Democratic Congress (ADC) delivered a sharp caution to President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday, the 26th of November, 2025, strongly advising him against engaging in undisclosed negotiations or making secret deals with bandits, as the party’s leadership fears that such actions could severely exacerbate the nation’s already critical security challenges.
The warning was issued by the ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, during a press briefing in Abuja following a crucial closed-door gathering of party officials and coalition leaders at the national secretariat.
While the ADC acknowledged and expressed satisfaction over the recent freedom secured by several abduction victims specifically citing worshippers taken from Christ Apostolic Church, Oke-Isegun in Kwara State, and students kidnapped from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, Kebbi State.
Mr. Abdullahi demanded transparency from the government, stating that the administration is obligated to clarify the “opaque and troubling manner” in which these individuals were released.
The ADC official firmly asserted the party’s suspicions regarding the government’s approach, stating, “We strongly believe that this administration is negotiating deals with insurgents,” and pointing to contradictory official statements as evidence, concluding that “the Federal Government is not being honest with Nigerians.”
Abdullahi directly challenged comments attributed to presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, describing suggestions that the kidnappers “came out voluntarily for the peace talk” or released victims because the government “asked them nicely” as entirely unacceptable for a country gripped by violent crime.
The party then posed critical questions requiring official answers: “Is the Nigerian government paying ransom to insurgents? What exactly was exchanged for the so-called surrender of weapons? And if these bandits truly surrendered weapons, what prevents them from simply acquiring new ones and continuing their criminal enterprise?” The ADC cautioned that negotiating with criminal elements would inevitably “expand the banditry economy,” a warning underscored by the fact that attackers returned to Ekiti Local Government in Kwara State just one day after the earlier release, abducting 11 additional residents
The party also condemned the government’s recent decision to close 47 unity schools due to the surging kidnapping threat, arguing that this action signals weakness and effectively emboldens terrorists.
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Abdullahi noted: “By closing schools, the Tinubu administration is reinforcing the very ideology Boko Haram was built upon. This government is effectively telling the world that it cannot protect Nigeria’s schoolchildren.” Furthermore, he criticised the administration’s failure to provide a clear count of schoolchildren abducted in recent attacks, calling the existing confusion “a damning indictment” of the government’s security management.
To tackle the escalating crisis, the ADC urged the Federal Government to immediately revive the Safe Schools Initiative, deploy NSCDC personnel to all unity schools, and ensure the immediate rescue of every abducted child.
The strong statement was issued following a meeting that included several key coalition figures, such as ADC National Chairman Senator David Mark, former SGF Babachir Lawal, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, former ADC Chairman Dr. Ralph Nwosu, and Mr. Abdullahi, with the gathering being part of the ongoing momentum by the newly forming coalition to consolidate a robust opposition front, particularly after former Vice President Atiku Abubakar officially registered his ADC membership earlier in the week.