The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has launched a blistering critique of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government, asserting that its failure to halt the recent surge in school kidnappings across Nigeria demonstrates a catastrophic lapse in its primary duty to protect citizens. The opposition party delivered a direct challenge to President Bola Tinubu on Sunday, urging him to “either ask for help (locally or internationally) or honourably resign” if he is overwhelmed by the deepening security crisis.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on November 23, 2025, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, identified the multiple recent abductions of students in Kebbi and Niger States as concrete evidence of the administration’s inability to manage the worsening security situation, particularly across Northern Nigeria.
Ememobong condemned the government’s contemplation of closing schools in the affected areas, describing such a move as a complete “surrender” to the terror groups responsible.
“We warn that this closure, if undertaken, like many of this administration’s quick-fix approaches to serious governance issues, will amount to a complete surrender to terrorists, whose sole aim is to shut down schools and prevent children from obtaining formal education,” the party stated.
The PDP expressed alarm over what it termed a slow and uncoordinated government response to the multiple incidents occurring in less than a week. Ememobong characterised the presidency’s reaction as “lacklustre and unempathetic,” stressing that a coordinated effort was still absent.
The opposition spokesperson specifically criticised President Tinubu for his perceived lack of personal engagement with the crisis. Instead of personally travelling to the affected states to offer solace and instruction, the President merely delegated the response to the Minister of State for Defence.
“Instead of the President visiting Kebbi and Niger States to meet and sympathise with the parents of the children who are in captivity, and to address the security personnel there, he merely directed the Minister of State for Defence to relocate to Kebbi,” the PDP official revealed.
The party argued forcefully that closing schools is not only a surrender but would critically exacerbate the education deficit in the North. This is a region where the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reports the majority of Nigeria’s staggering 18.3 million out-of-school children reside.
Ememobong pointed out the severe long-term consequences, noting that “Insecurity in schools will be a big disincentivisation for education in the country, especially in Northern Nigeria.” He stressed that academic life cannot pause indefinitely for security concerns, saying, “Examinations will not wait for security. So these children are either going to lose one term, lose two terms, or lose a year. Time lost can never be regained.”
The party called on the government to abandon the idea of closures and instead commit to fully funding and implementing the National Policy on Safety, Security and Violence-Free Schools, which is designed around community intelligence and rapid response systems.
Addressing the systemic nature of the problem, the PDP highlighted the breakdown of trust and communication between security agencies and citizens. This collapse of trusted community-level intelligence, the party posited, has rendered many communities vulnerable to attack.
“Now we no longer have a trusted interface between the security services and the citizens, and so we are saying that we must go back to the government… and we begin to analyse and address these issues comprehensively,” Ememobong urged.
When questioned about whether Nigeria should seek international assistance, the PDP indicated that the prerogative rests with the government, but maintained that the President must first acknowledge if he is in fact “overwhelmed.”
“If they feel they are overwhelmed, let them tell us… Normally, we have the international partners who can help. But if you do not invite them, you can become a local meddlesome interloper if you seek to help,” the party spokesperson concluded, before delivering the unambiguous demand for the President to either seek comprehensive assistance or step down.
