The Presidency yesterday pushed back against criticisms of President Bola Tinubu’s security record, insisting that Nigeria’s battle with terrorism predates the current administration and, in fact, originated during the tenure of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
In a strongly worded statement, Presidential spokesperson Sunday Dare said Tinubu is strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture with “a coordinated, nationwide strategy designed to secure every inch of the country.”
He stressed that the government will not be swayed by what he termed “revisionist commentaries” from individuals he described as habitual critics.
According to Dare, recent remarks questioning the administration’s capacity to protect Nigerians were both misleading and dangerous.
He argued that those attacking Tinubu were attempting to “whitewash their own failures” while ignoring the complexity of present-day terrorism.
Dare said, “Some of these comments are nothing but selective memory dressed up as statesmanship.
“The truth is that the earliest cells of Boko Haram emerged under Obasanjo’s watch because decisive action was not taken when it mattered.”
He explained that what began as a fringe sect gradually evolved into an armed insurgency and later merged into broader jihadist networks across the Sahel.
Moreover, he noted that today’s security challenge is far more layered, involving ISIS-aligned groups, al-Qaeda-linked factions, violent extremist gangs masquerading as bandits, and cross-border militias operating in ungoverned spaces.
“These groups trade information, swap weapons, and coordinate attacks with one goal—to destabilise Nigeria,” he added.
Dare insisted that the Tinubu administration is confronting terrorism with a mix of modern military capability, intelligence-driven operations, and non-kinetic programmes aimed at rebuilding trust in communities vulnerable to extremist recruitment.
“This is not an ordinary security problem. It is a full-spectrum terrorist threat, internal, external, and transnational,” he said.
He added that Nigeria is cooperating with global partners, including the United States, while maintaining full sovereignty over internal security operations.
He cautioned that statements from past leaders questioning Nigeria’s ability to defeat terrorism only embolden extremist groups.
“When former leaders publicly undermine the country, they hand psychological victories to those attacking our citizens,” he said. “A true statesman offers solutions, not soundbites.”
Dare urged Nigerians to unite behind the government rather than fuel panic, stressing that national cohesion is crucial to defeating extremist networks.
He also challenged Obasanjo to acknowledge the lapses that allowed terrorism to take root under his administration.
According to him, using hindsight to score political points does little to assist ongoing efforts to contain insurgency.
“The path forward requires honesty about how this crisis started and collective resolve to end it,” he added.
By placing renewed emphasis on military coordination, regional cooperation, and deradicalisation programmes, Dare maintained that President Tinubu remains determined to secure the entire country and ensure that terrorist groups “find no home, no support base, and no future in Nigeria.”
The Presidency concluded by reaffirming that Nigeria “will defeat terrorism” through unity, clarity of purpose, and sustained national effort, insisting that those who once failed to confront the threat cannot now rewrite the country’s security history.