ABUJA – A blistering war of words has erupted between the Tinubu administration and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, with the presidency accusing the elder statesman of hypocrisy for criticizing Nigeria’s security failures while allegedly allowing the “ideological seeds” of Boko Haram to take root during his 1999-2007 civilian rule. Obasanjo’s recent call for President Bola Tinubu to seek foreign assistance if unable to curb escalating terrorism has been branded a “capitulation” and “surrender of sovereignty,” as the nation grapples with a surge in kidnappings and insurgent attacks. In a parallel development, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, has dismissed sensational claims of a “Christian genocide,” urging a focus on broader insecurity rather than unverified religious narratives that could inflame divisions.
The feud ignited last week when Obasanjo, speaking at a security summit in Abeokuta, Ogun State, lamented the “unprecedented” scale of banditry and terrorism under Tinubu’s watch. The 88-year-old ex-president, who has long critiqued successors from his Hilltop Mansion, declared: “If the government cannot handle this alone, it should not hesitate to call on friends abroad—America, Britain, or even China—for technical support and expertise.” He argued that Nigeria’s porous borders and ungoverned spaces demand international collaboration, citing successful models like U.S. aid in Colombia’s fight against drug cartels.
Obasanjo, who handed over power to late President Umaru Yar’Adua in 2007 amid his own battles with Niger Delta militancy, positioned his advice as pragmatic statesmanship, not interference, emphasizing that “no nation fights alone in the 21st century.”
The response from the State House was swift and scorching. On November 30, Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Media and Public Communication, unleashed a 1,200-word statement on X titled “Between Tinubu’s Capability and the Ignobility of Pseudo Statesmanship.” Dare lambasted Obasanjo and “habitual presidential aspirants” like Atiku Abubakar for “ignoble” attacks that undermine national morale amid a “full-spectrum terrorist threat.He accused the former leader of “selective amnesia,” asserting: “It is a historical fact that the ideological foundations and early cells of Boko Haram were incubated during Obasanjo’s civilian presidency. While they recruited openly, indoctrinated followers, built camps, and flaunted state authority, the state failed to act decisively.
Dare’s salvo referenced the group’s origins in the early 2000s under founder Mohammed Yusuf, whose Maitatsine-inspired sect clashed with authorities in Yobe State in 2004, resulting in over 70 deaths—events that unfolded on Obasanjo’s watch without a robust crackdown. “For the leader under whom the first seeds of terrorism were allowed to germinate to now issue public lectures is not just ironic; it is reckless,” Dare wrote, urging Obasanjo to “acknowledge past failures” and leverage his global connections—like his advisory roles in post-genocide Rwanda—to aid Tinubu’s efforts, rather than “put down an administration fully engaging on economic turnaround, security, and infrastructure.”
The presidency framed Tinubu’s strategy as a “whole-of-government” offensive: kinetic military operations in the Northeast, intelligence-led forest cordons in the Northwest, community deradicalization programs, and governance restoration in 20 high-risk local governments.Recent successes cited include the rescue of 38 worshippers in Kwara State and 24 schoolgirls in Kebbi, alongside a 20,000-strong police recruitment drive and Air Force drone expansions.President Tinubu is confronting terrorism head-on, not with rhetoric, but with real action—from strengthening military operations to denying terrorists the human terrain they exploit,” Dare declared. “Under Tinubu, Nigeria will confront and defeat terrorism.”
On X, the clash has polarized discourse. Supporters of Tinubu, like @SundayDareSD’s 345,000-view thread, hailed Dare’s riposte as “historical truth,” with users posting: “Boko Haram started under OBJ—facts don’t lie!”
Critics, including @SaharaReporters (74 likes), decried it as “reckless deflection,” with one viral post quipping: “OBJ’s regime ended 2007; Boko Haram bombed UN HQ in 2011—math matters. Hashtags like #ObasanjoHypocrisy and #TinubuFightsTerror trended, amplifying calls for unity over “blame games” amid 490 recent abductions.16dec6eb4eee
x.com
Layering the debate, Bishop Kukah’s November 29 address at the 46th Supreme Convention of the Knights of St. Mulumba (KSM) in Kaduna has shifted focus from religious framing to systemic insecurity. The influential cleric, convener of the National Peace Committee, rejected “genocide” labels outright: “You can kill 10 million people, and it won’t be genocide. The critical determinant is intent—whether the aim is to eliminate a group. So, you don’t determine genocide by numbers; you determine it by intention.”
Kukah, who presented a 1,270-page Vatican study on global genocides, aligned with the Holy See, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, and fellow prelates in insisting “there is no persecution of Christians in Nigeria.He debunked viral claims of “1,200 churches burnt annually,” asking: “In which Nigeria? Nobody approached the Catholic Church for accurate data—the figures avoid us because Catholics don’t indulge in hearsay. On martyrdom, he cautioned: “If someone is killed in a church, does that automatically make them a martyr? Whether attacked by bandits or while stealing yams, we must think more deeply.
Kukah attributed Christian vulnerabilities to “internal disunity” and “succumbing to bullies,” noting Christians’ dominance in education (80%) and economy (85%).His stance, echoing a November Vatican submission urging against U.S. “Country of Particular Concern” re-designation for Nigeria, aims to foster interfaith ties and government engagement, warning that exaggerated claims could “embolden criminals” exploiting religious fault lines.
As Nigeria marks a grim milestone—35 million at risk of hunger by 2026 due to conflict-disrupted farming—the Obasanjo-Tinubu spat underscores a deeper malaise: leaders trading barbs while citizens bear the brunt. Dare’s plea for patriots to “join hands, not raise alarms” rings hollow amid X-fueled outrage, where users decry: “Blame game won’t free the 253 Niger schoolchildren. Bishop Kukah’s call for “clinical” discourse offers a sobering pivot: insecurity spares no faith, demanding collective resolve over divisive myths.
Will Obasanjo respond from Hilltop, or extend olive branches abroad? Clarion News watches closely. For families in Agwara and beyond, the only “total war” needed is one that ends in reunions, not recriminations.
SEEDS OF TERROR: TINUBU AIDE ACCUSES OBASANJO OF MIDWIFING BOKO HARAM AS FORMER LEADER URGES FOREIGN AID—’SURRENDER OF SOVEREIGNTY,’ PRESIDENCY FIRES BACK
