started · updated
President Bola Tinubu Faces Calls to Resign Over Security and Human‑Rights Criticism Ahead of 2027 Election
Several Nigerian political and civil‑society figures have publicly urged President Bola Tinubu to step down or abandon his bid for a second term in the 2027 presidential election. Former Christian Association of Nigeria leader Ayo Oritsejafor, African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain Kenneth Okonkwo, and the National Christian Elders Forum all cited the administration’s failure to curb worsening insecurity, economic hardship and deteriorating public welfare. Okonkwo also condemned a recent Federal High Court judgment that briefly deregistered the ADC, saying it was intended to frustrate opposition ahead of the election.
Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, speaking at the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture in Port Harcourt, called on Tinubu to reopen investigations into unresolved extrajudicial killings and to end the culture of impunity that he says threatens Nigeria’s democracy. Soyinka named victims such as the 18 Ughelli residents, a young man shot by a policeman, and Deborah Samuel, urging the President to make the files of unsolved cases public.
Other criticism focused on Tinubu’s recent speech to religious leaders, in which he abruptly shifted from discussing security crises to reciting the national anthem, prompting widespread ridicule. The ADC also asked the President to replicate the successful “Oriire rescue strategy” used in Oyo State for kidnapping victims in other states such as Kwara and Borno. Throughout these statements, Okonkwo recounted personal examples of kidnapping in Kaduna, ransom demands and the breaking of victims’ fingers, underscoring the daily reality of insecurity across Plateau, Benue, Oyo and other regions.
Entities
African Democratic Congress · Ayo Oritsejafor · Bola Ahmed Tinubu · Bola Tinubu · Federal High Court of Nigeria · Independent National Electoral Commission · Kenneth Okonkwo · National Christian Elders Forum · Plateau State · President Bola Tinubu · Wole Soyinka
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 5 SOURCES] Okonkwo said the Federal High Court judgment deregistering the ADC was intended to frustrate opposition and “coronate” Tinubu. idomavoice.com · www.nigerianeye.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The National Christian Elders Forum called on President Tinubu to abandon his re‑election bid, citing poor performance on security and governance. thewhistler.ng
- [● 2 SOURCES] Okonkwo criticized President Tinubu's defence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and called for electoral reforms. nationaldailyng.com
- [● 7 SOURCES] Kenneth Okonkwo urged President Bola Tinubu to resign before the 2027 general election. idomavoice.com · www.nigerianeye.com · www.theinfostride.com
- [● 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. idomavoice.com · www.nigerianeye.com
- [○ 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.
- [● 5 SOURCES] Okonkwo cited massacres in Plateau and Benue states and beheadings in Oyo state as examples of insecurity. idomavoice.com · www.nigerianeye.com
- [● 5 SOURCES] Okonkwo said Tinubu's administration has failed to address worsening insecurity in Nigeria. idomavoice.com · www.nigerianeye.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] Tinubu’s administration has been criticized for failing to address worsening insecurity, economic hardship and rising cost of living. prnigeria.com · www.theinfostride.com · nationaldailyng.com
- [● 6 SOURCES] Kenneth Okonkwo called on President Bola Tinubu to resign and not seek re‑election in 2027. idomavoice.com · www.nigerianeye.com · www.theinfostride.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] The ADC asked Tinubu to apply the Oriire rescue strategy to kidnapping victims in Kwara, Borno and other states. www.theinfostride.com
- [● 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. idomavoice.com · www.nigerianeye.com