Trump’s Tweet ‘Jolted’ Tinubu Into Action on Nigeria’s Security Crisis.

Social Democratic Party (SDP) leader and 2023 presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has accused President Bola Tinubu of paying serious attention to Nigeria’s worsening insecurity only after a recent tweet by former US President Donald Trump drew global attention to the crisis.

Adebayo said many Nigerians were enduring severe economic pressure and escalating violence, yet the government had failed to show urgency until Trump’s remarks triggered international scrutiny.

He argued that abductions—from organised criminal networks to “one chance” syndicates—have become so widespread that millions of Nigerians live with fear and financial strain due to ransom payments. “If you conduct a public hearing of ‘one chance’ victims, there will be over a million,” he said. “The only reason there is sensitivity to it now is because Trump sent a tweet.”

Adebayo criticised what he described as a reactive style of governance, urging Tinubu to prioritise national security consistently rather than responding only when foreign voices intervene. “They should not be serious only when Trump is tweeting. They should be serious all the time,” he said. He added that sustained leadership—not sudden bursts of activity—was required to prevent kidnappers from holding citizens hostage.

He praised the intelligence and capability within Nigeria’s security agencies but questioned whether they were being properly guided. “Nigerians are among the smartest people on earth, and such smart people abound in our security agencies,” he said, insisting that clearer directives from the presidency would deliver faster results.

The SDP leader also faulted Tinubu’s decision to publicly announce security operations, including the order to cordon off forests in states battling heightened attacks. He argued that such information should never be broadcast because criminal groups can easily adapt. He further criticised what he called inconsistencies in the administration’s approach, noting that the government successfully apprehended Nnamdi Kanu in Kenya yet continues to struggle against domestic terror networks operating openly within Nigeria’s forests.

Adebayo dismissed allegations that the opposition was sabotaging the government ahead of the 2027 elections, pointing instead to internal failures—especially the absence of ambassadors in strategic countries.

“Who sabotaged you to the point where you have no ambassador to major countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, France or China?” he asked. He insisted that ambassadorial appointments must not be treated merely as political refreshments, particularly in nations essential to Nigeria’s foreign policy and global security partnerships.