Lagos APC hits PDP over security criticism, defends Tinubu’s handling of kidnappings

The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of politicising recent security challenges, describing the opposition’s criticism of President Bola Tinubu as reckless, dishonest, and aimed at undermining national stability.

In a statement on Monday, the APC said the PDP’s claim that the Federal Government had surrendered to terrorists following school kidnappings in Kebbi and Niger states was politically motivated.

The ruling party insisted that the Tinubu administration was demonstrating strategic leadership and making measurable progress in tackling insecurity.

APC spokesperson Seye Oladejo highlighted the successful rescue of the 38 worshippers abducted in Eruku, Kwara State, and ongoing operations to free other abducted victims as evidence of a coordinated, intelligence-driven approach.

Oladejo accused the PDP of criticising the President’s cancelled foreign trip, saying it was a responsible decision to personally oversee national security operations. “Only a party that treated governance like beer-parlour gossip would trivialise such an act of responsibility. When a Commander-in-Chief suspends foreign engagements to coordinate a national security operation, it is called leadership – not the nonchalance that defined the PDP era,” he said.

The APC also defended the temporary closure of schools in high-risk areas, describing it as an intelligence-guided safety measure rather than a sign of capitulation. The party accused the PDP of prioritising political point-scoring over the protection of children and support for security agencies.

The statement criticised the PDP for lacking moral authority to comment on security, citing Boko Haram’s expansion and repeated mass kidnappings during the party’s time in power. It argued that the Tinubu administration had shown greater political will to reform defence leadership, strengthen inter-agency coordination, and deploy modern surveillance systems.

“The PDP is disappointed that Nigeria is healing. They thrive on tragedy. They breathe through insecurity. They survive on economic pain. But Nigeria is rising – painfully for them, joyfully for the citizens,” the statement read. “Stop weaponising insecurity. Stop wishing for bloodshed. Stop politicising schoolchildren’s safety. Stop disgracing your party.”

Earlier, the PDP had warned that school closures could worsen educational deprivation in Northern Nigeria and expose the government’s alleged lack of a coherent security strategy. The party cited UNICEF data showing that most of Nigeria’s 18.3 million out-of-school children, including 10.2 million at the primary level and 8.1 million at the secondary level, live in the north.

It urged the government to develop a comprehensive plan to combat kidnappings instead of relying on temporary closures to prevent attacks and score political points.