The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent directive ordering the withdrawal of police officers from VIP security duties, describing the move as political grandstanding that will do little to address Nigeria’s deepening insecurity crisis.

 

In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said the decision reflects the government’s poor understanding of the complexity of Nigeria’s security challenges and the kind of reforms required to confront them.

 

The party described the step as “the same old move” repeatedly announced without real implementation or impact.

 

“While the directive makes for good headlines, it is not new and demonstrates the government’s lack of understanding of the true nature and complexity of Nigeria’s worsening security crisis. A country battling terrorism, banditry, mass abductions, and violent crime cannot afford to confuse public relations for policy,” the ADC said.

 

According to the statement, similar orders had already been issued twice by the Inspector General of Police in 2025 alone, allegedly under the President’s instruction, yet no substantial action followed.

 

The ADC argued that even if the government successfully redeploys police officers from VIP escorts, the more pressing problem is that most personnel are neither trained nor equipped for counter-insurgency or the rapidly evolving security threats across the country.

 

“The dramatic gesture of withdrawing police protection from VIPs may pander to populist sentiment, but it does not address the problem,” the statement added.

 

The party also faulted the government’s claim that the withdrawal would free up 100,000 officers for general policing. It questioned the accuracy of the figure and insisted that increasing numbers alone cannot address the crisis.

 

“Even our military are struggling against the sophistication and adaptability of insurgents, let alone policemen who are ill-equipped, ill-trained and ill-motivated for the complex task of counter-insurgency,” the ADC said.

 

The party further criticised the replacement of withdrawn police personnel with officers from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), noting that the Corps’ mandate focuses on disaster risk management, community protection and public safety education, not VIP protection.

 

Calling the government’s approach “cosmetic,” the ADC insisted that Nigeria requires a comprehensive national security strategy built on intelligence, modernisation, institutional integration, and coordinated efforts across all security agencies.

 

“Nigeria’s security challenges must be addressed comprehensively, not cosmetically. What the country needs is not the reshuffling of personnel for headlines, but a coherent national security strategy.”

 

The party emphasised that the Police Force and other security institutions must be restructured, re-equipped, and retrained to match modern threats.

 

It ended by demanding transparency from the federal government:

 

“Moreover, this government must tell Nigerians the truth. Where is the data supporting the claim that 100,000 officers have been withdrawn from VIP duties?”

 

The ADC maintained that only deep reforms and a unified national security architecture can confront the escalating insecurity facing the country.