Adewole Adebayo Tinubu resignation call divides opinion as APC defends President amid rising insecurity and fresh human rights concerns.
Adewole Adebayo Tinubu resignation call has triggered a political storm after the former Social Democratic Party presidential candidate urged President Bola Tinubu to step down over worsening insecurity across Nigeria.
Also read: Kebbi religious leaders urge Tinubu to call national prayer
Speaking at the National Electoral Reforms Summit 2025 in Abuja, Adebayo echoed recent remarks by former US President Donald Trump on killings in Nigeria, accusing the Federal Government of failing in its constitutional duty to protect citizens.
“If your people are losing their lives in dozens, you have already failed the primary assignment of governance,” Adebayo said. “President Tinubu can use the bullet to kill the terrorists or use his pen to resign.”
The lawyer and politician alleged that certain actors within the system were profiting from the crisis, calling it a “shameful exploitation” of national insecurity. He also warned against framing the issue along religious or ethnic lines, saying such rhetoric would only deepen divisions.
“Our government should be ashamed,” he said. “Instead of solving the problem, they use insecurity as an excuse to loot public funds.”
Reacting swiftly, the All Progressives Congress dismissed the call as an isolated opinion. The party’s Deputy National Organising Secretary, Nze Chidi Duru, said the electorate—not opposition politicians—held the authority to determine the President’s fate.
“It is his view, and he is entitled to it,” Duru said. “The President’s mandate came from the people, and only the people can withdraw it.”
He added that the Tinubu administration acknowledged the security challenges and was “doing everything within its power” to resolve them.
Duru urged critics to support the government’s efforts rather than “chastise” them, promising that ongoing measures to protect lives and property would soon yield visible results.
The heated exchange comes amid heightened diplomatic engagement between Abuja and Washington following Trump’s claims that Christian communities in Nigeria face an “existential threat.”
Although the government initially rejected the remarks, it has since reopened discussions to clarify its stance.
Meanwhile, human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Prof Yusuf Ali, warned that Nigeria’s security policies risk harming citizens rather than protecting them.
Delivering a keynote lecture in Lagos, he argued that the nation’s counter-terrorism laws have drifted from constitutional safeguards, turning vulnerable populations into victims.
“The reality is that many of our security measures have turned citizens into victims,” Ali said. “True security must rest on dignity, justice, and the rule of law—not brute force.”
His comments further underline growing concerns about Nigeria’s security architecture and the balance between state power and human rights.
Also read: President Bola Tinubu vows to end insecurity
The Adewole Adebayo Tinubu resignation call has therefore reignited debate not only about governance and accountability but also about the moral and constitutional responsibilities of leadership in a nation still battling to secure peace.
