Presidency Hits Back at Obasanjo, Blames Him for Boko Haram’s Rise

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and other government critics have come under fire from the presidency for allegedly attempting to thwart President Bola Tinubu’s attempts to combat terrorism.

The President’s Special Advisor on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, released a statement headlined “Between Tinubu’s Capability and the Ignobility of Pseudo Statesmanship” on Sunday.
He claimed that the Tinubu administration was being falsely portrayed by Obasanjo and “habitual presidential aspirants” as incapable of defending Nigerians.

Dare characterized their remarks as “capitulation” rather than “true statesmanship” and claimed that their criticisms ignore the extent of terrorist threats. In recent weeks, Obasanjo, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and other opposition figures have denounced escalating insecurity and questioned the government’s non-kinetic security posture.

Speaking at an event in Jos on Friday, Obasanjo expressed alarm over the insecurity, saying Nigerians have a right to seek external support if the government fails in its job.

He answered, “No matter what religion you belong to. whatever your origins may be. We Nigerians are being slain regardless of our occupation, and it appears that our government cannot keep us safe.

“The global community includes us. We have the right to ask the world community to help us when our government is unable to.

In response, Dare called Obasanjo’s comments “hypocritical and ignoble,” stating that Obasanjo’s reign was when Boko Haram began to gain traction.

“The idea that Nigeria should effectively subcontract its internal security to foreign governments is not statesmanship; it is capitulation,” he declared.

“The former President should consider what he did not do when these terrorists first started organizing under his watch before recommending surrender.”

Dare went on to say that it is a “historical fact” that Boko Haram’s “ideological foundations and early cells” developed during Obasanjo’s administration because the government did not take immediate action.

He claims that what started out as a small extremist group eventually developed into a violent insurgency and a regional threat that was in line with international jihadist activities.

He called it “reckless” that the group’s founder would now give public speeches.

President Tinubu is combating terrorism through military action, intelligence activities, reestablishing governance in impacted communities, and counter-radicalization initiatives, Dare emphasized.

Criticizing the administration, he cautioned, could give terrorists more confidence. “When former leaders disparage the nation’s capacity, they hand psychological victories to the very terrorists who are murdering, kidnapping, and extorting Nigerians,” he stated.

Dare went on to say that rather than attacking the government, Obasanjo should support it and own up to past mistakes.

He said Obasanjo should “put his position and connections at Nigeria’s disposal” rather than criticizing an administration working on economic recovery, security, and infrastructure.

In closing, he stated that President Tinubu is still dedicated to safeguarding the nation and that the administration will not be sidetracked by what he described as “selective amnesia wrapped in elder statesmanship.”