The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s bid for Nigeria to secure a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, describing the move as misplaced while insecurity continues to wreak havoc across the country.

ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, in a statement on Sunday, argued that President Tinubu cannot demand an expanded role in global decision-making while failing to uphold his primary duty of protecting Nigerian lives and property.

He noted that Nigeria has long advocated for a permanent seat on the Security Council, but questioned the timing and credibility of the current push. At the ongoing United Nations General Assembly in New York, Vice President Kashim Shettima, standing in for President Tinubu, once again restated Nigeria’s demand for a seat.

However, the ADC insisted that an administration unable to secure peace at home could hardly present itself as a credible voice in global security circles.

“The African Democratic Congress finds it absurd that the Tinubu administration could be requesting a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council even as bandits slaughter Nigerians at home and take control of some of the nation’s territories. We, however, wonder how a government that cannot ensure peace or security at home could demand a seat at the table where global security is negotiated and expect to be taken seriously.”
African Democratic Congress

The party pointed to recent incidents that highlight the scale of insecurity. Only last Friday, gunmen stormed a mosque in Yandoto village, Zamfara State, killing worshippers and abducting several others. Just weeks earlier, at least 45 people were killed in the same state, with entire villages displaced and dozens kidnapped.

Katsina State has also suffered deadly attacks. In one incident, about 47 people lost their lives, while others were injured or taken hostage. Over the past two months, more than 140 Nigerians have been killed in Zamfara and Katsina alone. Amnesty International, as of May 2025, reported that over 10,000 Nigerians have been killed in attacks by various armed groups.

“Only last month, the ADC alerted the public that armed gangs in Zamfara State had extorted over N56 million from farmers as a precondition to access their farmlands. Indeed, with the level of brigandage going on in that state, we are compelled to ask whether Zamfara is still part of Nigeria. Because when non-state actors collect taxes, control access to farms, and kill with impunity, they are no longer mere criminals, they are a parallel government.”
African Democratic Congress

ADC Says Leadership Begins At Home

The ADC argued that the crisis has gone beyond mere insecurity, claiming that Nigeria’s territorial integrity is being undermined.

“What is happening is not a mere failure of security. It is clear evidence, written in blood and piles of innocent bodies, of a government that has lost control. In any serious country, these situations would have triggered resignations, emergency meetings, and a strategic overhaul. Here, it only receives routine condolence tweets from presidential propagandists.”
African Democratic Congress

The ADC concluded that global leadership begins with domestic responsibility. “Leadership on the global stage must begin with responsibility at home. You cannot be asking to be admitted into the club of those who take the lives of their citizens seriously, while the very land you govern is soaked with the blood of the very people you have sworn to protect while you do nothing.”

The party also criticized Tinubu for reportedly missing the commissioning of Nigerian military officers for the second year in a row, calling it another example of misplaced priorities.

“The Nigerian Defence Academy held the passing-out parade and commissioning of 874 officers into the military last Saturday, but the Commander-in-Chief was once again missing in action.
“With the dire security situation in the country, we would have expected the President to seize the occasion to inspire and charge the new officers to give their best in protecting the country and its people.”
African Democratic Congress

As such, the ADC insists Nigeria’s credibility abroad hinges on restoring peace at home, warning that without tackling insecurity, aspirations for global influence remain hollow and dangerously misplaced.