THE Presidency has fired back at former President Olusegun Obasanjo over his recent criticism of the Federal Government’s handling of insecurity, accusing him of hypocrisy and reminding him that the Boko Haram insurgency began under his administration.
In a issued sighted by News Point Nigeria on X, Sunday and titled “Between Tinubu’s Capability and the Ignobility of Pseudo Statesmanship,” President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, condemned Obasanjo and other opposition figures for what he termed “ignoble attempts” to discredit the current administration’s security efforts.
Dare’s remarks followed comments made by Obasanjo during an event in Jos, Plateau State, where the former leader lamented the worsening insecurity in the country and suggested that Nigerians have the right to seek international intervention if the government fails to protect them.
Obasanjo had stated: “No matter where you come from or what your religion is, we Nigerians are being killed, and our government seems incapable of protecting us… If our government cannot do it, we have the right to call on the international community to do for us what our government cannot.”
The comment triggered swift reactions from the Presidency, with Dare accusing the former president of attempting to “subcontract Nigeria’s sovereignty” and ignoring the historical roots of terrorism in the country.
According to Dare, Boko Haram “incubated, recruited, indoctrinated, and built early camps” during Obasanjo’s civilian administration, adding that the government at the time failed to act decisively against the extremist sect in its formative years.
“It is historical fact that the ideological foundations and early cells of Boko Haram were incubated during Obasanjo’s presidency,” Dare said. “For the leader under whom the first seeds of terrorism were allowed to germinate to now issue public lectures is not just ironic, it is reckless.”
The presidential aide criticised what he described as “selective amnesia” by former leaders and political opponents, including ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former presidential aspirants, who have faulted the Tinubu administration’s non-kinetic security strategy amid rising attacks in parts of the country.
Rather than offering constructive support, Dare argued, these figures have engaged in public rhetoric that could embolden terrorists by casting doubt on the government’s capability.
“When former leaders disparage the nation’s capacity, they hand psychological victories to the very terrorists murdering, kidnapping, and extorting Nigerians,” he warned.
Dare insisted that President Tinubu is tackling a complex, multi-layered terrorist threat using a combination of military force, intelligence-driven operations, governance restoration, and counter-radicalisation programmes.
He maintained that the administration remains fully committed to securing “every inch of Nigeria” and urged citizens to support ongoing security measures rather than amplify pessimism.
“If Obasanjo wishes to help, he should acknowledge the past failures that allowed terrorists to gain a foothold and support ongoing efforts — not undermine them,” Dare added. “Let him put his experience and connections at Nigeria’s disposal, as he has done for other nations.”
He also reiterated that the government would not be distracted by “selective amnesia wrapped in elder-statesmanship” or allow those who “midwifed Nigeria’s early security failures to rewrite history.”
The Presidency reaffirmed President Tinubu’s resolve to restore peace through a whole-of-government approach, urging all Nigerians to unite against terrorism rather than fuel political tensions.