ADC Faults Tinubu’s Attendance at Fishing Festival, Raises Alarm Over Insecurity in Kwara

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s weekend visit to Kebbi State, describing his participation in the Argungu Fishing Festival as poorly timed and insensitive given the current security challenges facing the nation.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, expressed concern over what it termed a growing terrorist threat, particularly in parts of Kwara State.

President Tinubu had on Saturday undertaken a one-day working visit to Kebbi State, where he commissioned several projects and attended the annual Argungu International Fishing and Cultural Festival.

However, the ADC argued that the President’s engagement in celebratory activities stood in stark contrast to the grim reality of escalating violence across the country. The party noted that within the last 41 days, nearly 1,300 Nigerians have lost their lives, while hundreds more including women and children remain in captivity.

“The African Democratic Congress is deeply troubled by the continued deterioration of the security situation in parts of the country, particularly in Kwara State,” the statement read.

“We are especially concerned that at a time of rising insecurity, the President and Commander-in-Chief was in Argungu attending a fishing festival. Once again, innocent Nigerians and their families are left to bear the tragic brunt of terror while the President attends a festival.”

The party also drew attention to a recently surfaced video allegedly released by terrorists linked to abductions in the Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State. According to the ADC, the video challenges official figures regarding the number of kidnapped victims, signalling a worrying shift in the confidence and operational capacity of criminal elements.

The opposition party further warned that terrorist activity is no longer confined to southern Kwara but is now spreading to northern parts of the state, including the Patigi Local Government Area, where fresh incidents were reported over the weekend.

“The Kaiama axis provides a direct link to Oyo State. Any sustained insurgent activity within this corridor could therefore create wider vulnerabilities across parts of the North Central and South West,” the party warned. “The situation in Kwara State must not be treated as an isolated incident but as a potential early warning of geographic expansion by terror actors.”

The ADC also raised concerns over what it described as the growing commercialisation of kidnapping, noting that the brazenness of terrorists in disputing official figures suggests abduction is now being treated as a profit-driven enterprise.

While acknowledging the need for the safe return of all victims, the party reiterated its longstanding opposition to the payment of ransom, warning that such practices only serve to embolden criminal networks.

In light of the developments, the ADC called on the Federal Government to take immediate and decisive action, including the launch of a coordinated rescue operation for all abducted persons; a transparent public briefing to clarify discrepancies in victim figures; an urgent security audit of the Kaiama and Kainji Lake forest corridors; strengthened inter-state security collaboration across Kwara, Niger, and Oyo; and consistent public communication to counter terrorist propaganda and restore public confidence.

“Nigeria must not project weakness in the face of terror,” the ADC added. “The Federal Government must recover every inch of the nation’s territory and ensure the safety of all citizens.”