The African Democratic Congress has sharply criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive ordering police personnel off VIP protection duties, describing the move as a theatrical gesture that fails to confront Nigeria’s deepening security crisis.
The party argued that the withdrawal, widely circulated in media reports, amounts to recycled political showmanship rather than a policy rooted in serious national security reform.
Its spokesperson, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the administration continues to underestimate the scale and sophistication of the threats facing the country.
The statement, issued on Monday, faulted what it called the government’s “fixation on headline-friendly pronouncements,” insisting that the worsening crises of terrorism, banditry, mass abductions and organised crime require a coordinated national strategy, not episodic directives.
Abdullahi noted that similar orders had been repeatedly issued in the past without implementation.
According to him, “announcing the same policy twice in one year shows either poor institutional memory or a determination to substitute optics for governance.”
He added that even if the withdrawal were executed this time, it would not meaningfully boost frontline policing.
“The truth is that many of the officers posted to VIPs lack the training, orientation and equipment required for counter-insurgency operations,” he said.
The ADC also questioned the federal government’s claim that the move would free up 100,000 officers for operational duties, saying no evidence has been presented to the public.
Abdullahi argued that the challenge is not just manpower but the capacity of security forces to outmatch increasingly adaptive insurgent groups.
The party further criticised the decision to replace withdrawn police officers with personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, an agency whose primary mandate includes community protection and disaster management.
The ADC suggested this was yet another sign that government actions are being driven by improvisation rather than strategy.
According to the party, Nigeria requires a unified national security architecture built on intelligence-driven policing, modern equipment, institutional coordination and a full overhaul of training standards across security agencies.
Abdullahi maintained that the country is long past the stage where “cosmetic reshuffling” can make any real difference.
“If this government is genuinely committed to securing Nigeria, it must move beyond announcements and embark on a comprehensive restructuring of the entire security system,” he said.
The ADC urged the federal government to publish the data supporting its claims, provide a clear operational blueprint for redeployed officers, and commit to long-term reforms capable of matching the evolving threats confronting the nation.