Opposition Parties Slam Tinubu Over Maiduguri Bombings
The African Democratic Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party have issued sharp criticisms of President Bola Tinubu’s handling of national security following coordinated suicide bombings in Maiduguri that killed at least 23 people and injured over 100 others, with both opposition parties demanding the president’s immediate return from his state visit to the United Kingdom.
The ADC and PDP, in separate statements released on Tuesday, described the Monday night attacks as evidence of the federal government’s failure to contain the resurgence of terrorism in the northeast and called for urgent action to address what they characterized as a worsening security crisis across Nigeria.
Three suicide bombings struck Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, almost simultaneously on Monday evening at approximately 7:02 pm, targeting the Monday Market, the Post Office area, and a location near the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital. The attacks occurred hours after suspected Boko Haram militants launched coordinated assaults on three military formations in different parts of Borno State.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC condemned the bombings and urged President Tinubu to cut short his diplomatic engagements and return to Nigeria to focus on his constitutional responsibility of protecting citizens.
“The African Democratic Congress strongly condemns the bomb blasts that have shaken Maiduguri, Borno State, leaving innocent Nigerians dead and many others injured,” the statement read. “Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and the people of Maiduguri, a city that has endured more than its fair share of pain over the years. Terrorism anywhere in Nigeria is an attack on all Nigerians. At moments like this, the country must stand together with the people who have been affected.”
The ADC acknowledged the efforts of first responders and security personnel but expressed concern that Maiduguri, which had experienced relative stability in recent years following the peak of the Boko Haram insurgency, appeared to be returning to a period of heightened insecurity.
“Maiduguri, which in recent years had begun to experience a measure of stability after the darkest days of the insurgency, should not be returning to a situation where coordinated bomb attacks once again threaten the safety of ordinary citizens going about their daily lives,” the party stated.
The ADC criticized the president’s absence from Nigeria during what it described as a serious national security emergency, noting that the attacks demanded the full attention of the country’s leadership.
“Moments like this demand the full and undivided attention of the nation’s leadership. It is therefore troubling that the President is currently outside the country at a time when such a serious attack on national security has occurred,” Abdullahi stated.
The party went further to accuse key security officials of being distracted by political considerations, claiming that “at a time when Nigerian soldiers and civilians are being wilfully killed by terrorists, those charged with protecting the country are focused on the politics of self-succession.”
“The National Security Adviser is going after opposition figures and calling bandits his ‘brothers,’ while the Minister of Defence is on television planning the APC national convention. This is not leadership. It is a dangerous distraction, and it is costing lives,” the ADC stated.
The party emphasized that expressions of sympathy were insufficient and called for concrete action, stating that “in case this government has forgotten, those being killed by terrorists are not just numbers. Those soldiers being mowed down by bandits are people’s children, husbands, fathers, and family members.”
“In any serious country, a devastating security breach would command the full attention of the government. Leaders would return home, address the nation, and take responsibility. Instead, Bola Ahmed Tinubu is abroad, exchanging pleasantries with the King and Queen of England while Nigerians mourn and soldiers are being buried. Not a word has been spared for the victims or the brave soldiers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the service of Nigeria,” the ADC added.
The party proposed that the federal government should begin paying compensation to families of victims, both military and civilian, as a way of accepting responsibility for security failures.
“Although no amount of money can fully compensate for a lost life, by penalising itself in this way, the government would begin to accept responsibility,” the statement concluded.
The PDP, in a separate statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, described the bombings as “another incontrovertible piece of evidence of the inability of the APC-led federal government to curb the growing insecurity in the country.”
The party accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of failing to deliver on campaign promises made in 2015 to end insecurity, claiming that the security situation has deteriorated significantly under APC governance.
“This bombing is an unfortunate addition to the numerous acts of grave insecurity that have occurred under the watch of President Bola Tinubu, who was the loudest campaign voice for the APC, promising to end insecurity immediately if his party is elected. Sadly, 11 years later, insecurity has not only increased significantly in the Northeastern part of Nigeria; it has spread almost uncontrollably to many other parts of the country that were hitherto very safe and peaceful,” Ememobong stated.
The PDP further criticized the federal government for what it described as focusing disproportionate resources on political opposition rather than addressing security challenges.
“Despite this glaring failure, the APC-led Presidency has devoted more time, energy, and resources to the task of political genocide against the opposition, instead of deploying the same to combat the growing insecurity that has become the lived reality and new normal of Nigerians. There is no one, including the President, who will not agree that our country was safer in 2015 than it is today,” the statement read.
The party called for a comprehensive approach to security that includes engagement with community leaders and strategic stakeholders.
“While we sympathise with the families who have been affected by this dastardly and most condemnable act, we call on the federal government to move beyond rhetoric in security matters and engage strategic stakeholders, especially community leaders, as part of a whole-of-society approach to combating insecurity,” the PDP stated.
The Maiduguri bombings represent a significant escalation in violence in Borno State, which has been the epicenter of the Boko Haram insurgency since 2009. The insurgency, which seeks to establish an Islamic caliphate in northeastern Nigeria, has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions over the past 16 years.
Maiduguri, with a population estimated at over 1.2 million people, has been repeatedly targeted by Boko Haram and its splinter faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province. The city experienced some of its worst attacks between 2014 and 2017, when suicide bombings were frequent occurrences, particularly in crowded markets, motor parks, and places of worship.
Security operations led by the Nigerian military, supported by the Multinational Joint Task Force comprising troops from Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, had achieved significant progress in degrading the operational capabilities of the insurgent groups in recent years. The establishment of the Civilian Joint Task Force, a community-based security initiative, also contributed to improved intelligence gathering and early warning systems.
However, recent months have witnessed a resurgence of attacks in Borno and neighboring states, raising concerns about the sustainability of security gains and the capacity of security forces to maintain pressure on insurgent groups while simultaneously addressing banditry, kidnapping, and communal conflicts in other parts of Nigeria.
Data from the Council on Foreign Relations’ Nigeria Security Tracker indicates that violent deaths from terrorism, banditry, and communal conflicts have increased significantly across Nigeria in recent years, with the northwest geopolitical zone emerging as a major theater of insecurity alongside the traditional northeast hotspot.
The Monday Market, one of the attack locations, is Maiduguri’s largest commercial hub and typically experiences heavy foot traffic, particularly on Mondays when traders and customers converge from surrounding communities. Previous attacks on the market in 2015 and 2017 resulted in mass casualties, prompting enhanced security measures including mandatory searches at entry points.
The University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, another target area, serves as a critical healthcare facility for Borno State and has treated thousands of victims of insurgency-related violence over the years. Security around the hospital has been reinforced multiple times following previous attacks and attempted infiltrations by insurgents.
President Tinubu is currently on a state visit to the United Kingdom, his first official bilateral engagement with Britain since assuming office in May 2023. The visit, which began on March 15, 2026, includes meetings with King Charles III, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and British business leaders to discuss trade, security cooperation, and investment opportunities.
The Presidency has not issued an official statement specifically addressing the Maiduguri bombings as of the time of this report, although presidential spokespeople typically respond to security incidents through press releases or social media statements.
The criticisms from the ADC and PDP reflect broader political tensions in Nigeria as the country approaches the midpoint of President Tinubu’s first term. The opposition parties have consistently challenged the government’s security record, pointing to persistent attacks by Boko Haram, banditry in the northwest, kidnappings along major highways, and communal clashes in the Middle Belt as evidence of governance failures.
Security experts have called for a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s counterterrorism and counterinsurgency strategies, emphasizing the need for improved intelligence coordination, enhanced community engagement, better equipment and welfare for security personnel, and addressing the socioeconomic grievances that fuel recruitment into armed groups.
The Borno State government and security agencies are expected to provide updated casualty figures and details of response measures in the coming days as rescue operations continue and investigations into the attacks progress.