‘Terrorism Took Root On Your Watch’, Presidency Replies Obasanjo

At an event in Jos on Friday, former President Olusegun Obasanjo stated that Nigerians have the right to seek foreign intervention, citing what he described as the government’s failure to adequately safeguard its citizens.

Updated November 30, 2025

A file photo of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. (Credit: Twitter/@Oolusegun_obj)

The Presidency has pushed back against Obasanjo’s remarks, arguing that he lacks the moral authority to criticise President Bola Tinubu over Nigeria’s worsening security situation.

During the Jos event, Obasanjo expressed deep concern over the escalating insecurity across the country. He asserted that Nigerians are justified in seeking foreign assistance if the government fails in its duty to protect them.

In its response, the Presidency claimed that terrorism took root during Obasanjo’s tenure, insisting that many of the security challenges Nigeria faces today stem from his time in office.

It also criticised Obasanjo’s suggestion that President Tinubu should turn to foreign nations for help, describing the proposal as an irresponsible call to relinquish national responsibility. According to the Presidency, advocating external intervention in Nigeria’s internal affairs does not reflect true leadership.

The rebuttal was shared by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, via his verified X account.

The Presidency’s statement accused Obasanjo and “habitual presidential aspirants” of attempting to frame the Tinubu administration as incapable of protecting Nigerians. It stressed that the country is confronting terrorism in various forms — international, regional, and local.

The statement said:

“Those who ignored the early signs of these threats now seek to judge others. Nigerians understand the truth.

“Suggesting that Nigeria should subcontract its internal security to foreign powers is not statesmanship; it is surrender. Before advocating such a position, the former President should reflect on the opportunities he missed when terrorists first began organising under his watch.”

The Presidency emphasized that Nigeria is under attack from terrorists who kill citizens, raid communities, abduct innocent people, destroy infrastructure, and challenge state authority.

According to the government, the country now faces a complex network of terrorist actors, including:

• Internationally designated terror groups

• ISIS- and al-Qaeda-linked franchises across the Sahel

• Local extremist groups posing as bandits

• Cross-border cells exploiting weak borders

• Ideological insurgents and criminal-terror hybrids operating in ungoverned spaces

“These groups collaborate — sharing money, ideology, weapons, intelligence, and logistics — with the singular aim of destabilizing Nigeria,” the statement added.

The Presidency accused Obasanjo of failing to act when Boko Haram’s early cells emerged, allowing the group to evolve from a fringe sect into a deadly insurgency aligned with global jihadist movements.

“For someone under whose administration the seeds of terrorism were allowed to flourish to now issue public lectures is not only ironic but reckless,” it said.

While reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to international cooperation, the Presidency insisted that the country will not outsource its security or surrender its sovereignty.

“Nigeria will collaborate internationally, but it will not wave a white flag because someone who once had the chance lost his nerve,” the statement noted.

It highlighted ongoing security partnerships with the United States and other allied nations, acknowledging the transnational nature of the threat and the need for global cooperation.