The Northern Ethnic Youth Group Assembly (NEYGA) has criticised former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over what it described as the politicisation of Nigeria’s security challenges.
The group accused both opposition figures of exploiting recent attacks on schools in Borno and Oyo states for political advantage, following separate statements they issued condemning the incidents.
In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Alhaji Ibrahim Dan-Musa, NEYGA said it was “wrong, unethical and unpatriotic” for politicians seeking leadership positions to use the plight of abducted schoolchildren as a campaign tool.
The criticism followed comments by Obi, who described schoolchildren as “pawns in a ransom economy,” and Atiku, who argued that the prevailing security situation had rendered the Federal Government’s Safe Schools Initiative ineffective.
Atiku had stated that President Bola Tinubu lacked the “moral or political latitude” to remain in office while many abducted citizens remained in captivity across the country, stressing that the primary responsibility of government is the security and welfare of citizens.
Responding, NEYGA argued that both politicians bore some responsibility for the insecurity currently confronting the country.
“We are disappointed that men who have held high political offices, and who aspire to lead Nigeria, would resort to using the plight of children in distress to score cheap political points,” the group said.
According to NEYGA, the comments by the two opposition leaders appeared to validate President Tinubu’s claim that some individuals were attempting to use insecurity to undermine his administration ahead of the 2027 elections.
The group further alleged that the administration in which Atiku served as Vice President failed to decisively tackle the early stages of Boko Haram insurgency and did not adequately address the challenge of out-of-school children.
On Obi, the group claimed that he served as an adviser in a government that allegedly failed to confront terrorism effectively, adding that the administration contributed to the growing trend of kidnapping schoolchildren for ransom.
NEYGA urged both politicians to emulate opposition figures in countries facing security crises, citing examples from the United States, Israel and Kenya where political leaders united behind incumbent governments during national emergencies.
The group referenced the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, noting that opposition politicians rallied behind then-President George W. Bush rather than politicising the tragedy.
It also cited Israel’s response to the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre and the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, as well as Kenya’s handling of the 2013 Westgate shopping mall attack, arguing that opposition leaders in those countries prioritised national unity over partisan politics.
“We advise Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi to be more circumspect when commenting on insecurity and to support ongoing efforts aimed at restoring peace and stability across the country,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, Obi, in his reaction to the attacks, lamented the increasing vulnerability of schoolchildren to abduction, describing the incidents as a grave threat to Nigeria’s future.
“There is nothing more heartbreaking for a nation than an inability to protect its children,” Obi stated while reacting to the abduction of students in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State and Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Similarly, Atiku, through his media office, condemned the attacks and expressed concern over the abduction of dozens of students and teachers from schools in both states.
