President Bola Tinubu urged to resign over security failures and 2027 election plans
African Democratic Congress chieftain Kenneth Okonkwo has repeatedly called on President Bola Tinubu to step down and not seek a second term in the 2027 presidential election, arguing that the administration has failed to curb the country’s worsening insecurity. Okonkwo cited daily massacres in Plateau and Benue states, beheadings in Oyo, and kidnappings in Kaduna – including a personal account of a worker’s mother whose fingers were broken after a ransom demand could not be met. He also said the Federal High Court judgment that briefly deregistered the ADC was intended to frustrate opposition and “coronate” Tinubu.
The National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF) issued a communiqué urging Tinubu to abandon his re‑election bid and reject the Muslim‑Muslim ticket, condemning the government’s record on security, the economy and public welfare. Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, speaking at his 28th lecture series, demanded that Tinubu reopen investigations into unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, naming cases such as the 2022 lynching of Deborah Samuel and the shooting of Mene Ogidi. The ADC also asked the president to replicate the successful Oriire rescue operation in other states such as Kwara and Borno. Together, these voices highlight growing political pressure on Tinubu ahead of the 2027 polls.
Entities: African Democratic Congress · Bola Ahmed Tinubu · Bola Tinubu · Federal High Court of Nigeria · Independent National Electoral Commission · Kenneth Okonkwo · National Christian Elders Forum · Plateau State · Wole Soyinka
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 5 SOURCES] Okonkwo said the Federal High Court judgment deregistering the ADC was intended to frustrate opposition and “coronate” Tinubu. (new)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The National Christian Elders Forum called on President Tinubu to abandon his re‑election bid, citing poor performance on security and governance. (The forum said Tinubu’s administration is “manifestly disappointing” and urged him to step down.)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Okonkwo criticized President Tinubu's defence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and called for electoral reforms. (He said INEC has not done enough to convince Nigerians of its impartiality and needs reforms.)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Kenneth Okonkwo urged President Bola Tinubu to resign before the 2027 general election. (Okonkwo said Tinubu should resign and not allow the election to hold.)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Okonkwo recounted that a worker's mother was kidnapped in Kaduna State, ransom demanded, and her fingers were broken when the ransom was not paid. (He described the incident where kidnappers broke two fingers after the family could not meet the ransom demand.)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The ADC demanded that the government apply the same rescue strategy used for the Oriire schoolchildren kidnapping to other kidnapping victims in Kwara and Borno. (The party said the Oriire rescue should be the standard for all kidnapping responses.)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Okonkwo cited massacres in Plateau and Benue states and beheadings in Oyo state as examples of insecurity. (He mentioned killings in Plateau, Benue and beheadings in Oyo.)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Okonkwo said Tinubu's administration has failed to address worsening insecurity in Nigeria. (Okonkwo argued the administration has not done enough to tackle the country's worsening security situation.)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Tinubu’s administration has been criticized for failing to address worsening insecurity, economic hardship and rising cost of living. (new)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Kenneth Okonkwo called on President Bola Tinubu to resign and not seek re‑election in 2027. (new)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The ADC asked Tinubu to apply the Oriire rescue strategy to kidnapping victims in Kwara, Borno and other states. (new)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Okonkwo recounted that his worker’s mother was kidnapped in Kaduna, ransom was demanded, and her fingers were broken when the demand was not met. (new)