A former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has urged Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to resign, blaming his administration for failing to tackle worsening insecurity across the country.
Amaechi made the call in a statement issued on Tuesday, shortly after coordinated suicide bomb attacks struck Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State in northeastern Nigeria. The explosions hit a busy market, a major teaching hospital, and a flyover near a post office, leaving 23 people dead and several others injured.
According to Amaechi, the attacks highlight what he described as the government’s inability to fulfil its most basic duty. “If a government cannot guarantee the safety of its people, then it has no right to remain in power. President Tinubu should resign,” he said.
Nigeria has struggled with security challenges for years, particularly in the northeast region, where armed groups have carried out repeated attacks. The latest incident has once again raised concerns about the safety of civilians and the effectiveness of government response.
Amaechi criticised the president’s leadership, saying it has failed to meet expectations. “He has failed woefully to perform his basic responsibility of protecting the lives and property of Nigerians. If those in power cannot guarantee that, then they have no business clinging to authority,” he stated.
He also described the Maiduguri bombings as a reflection of deeper governance issues. “President Bola Tinubu’s government is killing Nigerians, literally destroying lives. He has failed in the most sacred duty of protecting the lives of the citizens of this country. The Monday bombings in Maiduguri are not just a tragedy. It is a damning indictment of a leadership that has grown complacent, abysmally incompetent, and indifferent to the sufferings and death of Nigerians to ravaging bandits.”
Amaechi further accused those in power of failing to act decisively while citizens continue to suffer. He said the government has relied on statements rather than concrete measures to address insecurity.
“Nigerians cannot continue to mourn and live in fear, while Tinubu and his lackeys at the helm of affairs in the country live lavishly and ostentatiously, while failing to take decisive actions to put an end to the raging insecurity.
“How many more lives must be lost before they admit their failure? How many more communities must be shattered and destroyed before they take decisive action? Insecurity has become the daily reality of ordinary citizens, and yet the government continues to stumble, unprepared and unwilling to confront the menace with the seriousness it demands,” he added.
There was no immediate response from the presidency regarding the allegations at the time of filing this report.
The remarks are expected to add to ongoing political tensions in Nigeria, as calls grow louder for stronger action to address security concerns across the country.