The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu over Nigeria’s fourth-place ranking among the most terrorism-affected countries in the latest Global Terrorism Index (GTI).
ThelensNG reports that Nigeria ranks behind Pakistan, Burkina Faso, and Niger in the most recent ranking.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, on Thursday, the ADC disclosed that it has reviewed the newly released Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2026, which presents a clear and troubling assessment of the state of insecurity in Nigeria.
The party noted that the report comes against the backdrop of another deadly terrorist attack in Borno State, where dozens of Nigerians were killed and many others injured.
“Nigeria is now ranked the 4th most terrorism-affected country in the world. That is not an abstract statistic. It is a direct reflection of the failure of the Bola Tinubu-led APC government to secure the country.
“At a moment when Nigerians are grieving and communities across the country are living under constant threat, Tinubu, his National Security Adviser, and the Minister of Defence are abroad. The contrast is clear: a country in crisis, and a leadership that is absent,” the statement said.
Abdullahi stated that the situation raises fundamental questions about the priorities of President Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC), arguing that at a time requiring focus, discipline, and urgency, the government appears more concerned with optics than with tangible performance.
Citing the GTI, he revealed that terror attacks have surged by 43 percent, rising from 120 incidents in 2024 to 171 in 2025.
Abdullahi further pointed out that violence is increasingly concentrated in Borno State, which now accounts for 67 percent of attacks and 72 percent of deaths. Most concerning, he said, is that civilians make up 67 percent of those killed, highlighting the growing vulnerability of ordinary Nigerians.
“The threat to Nigerian families is also evolving. ISWAP is responsible for over half of all attacks and deaths across the country. Boko Haram remains active and deadly. New groups like Lakurawa are emerging, showing that Tinubu’s national security strategy is not containing the insecurity problem but expanding it,” he remarked.
Abdullahi asserted that these developments point to deeper systemic issues beyond isolated security lapses, describing them as evidence of a broader breakdown in governance.
“The GTI identifies weak governance, internal instability, and economic hardship as key drivers of terrorism. That is not a political talking point. It is the assessment of an independent international body.”
He maintained that a government genuinely committed to protecting its citizens would demonstrate coordinated and visible leadership during crises, strengthen local security structures, and address the economic and social conditions that drive recruitment into extremist groups.
However, he mentioned that Nigerians are instead witnessing a leadership class that appears more focused on political positioning than on the urgent task of governance.
The ADC outlined three key steps it believes are necessary to address Nigeria’s security challenges, including improving intelligence coordination, decentralising policing to bring security closer to communities, and shifting from reactive responses to preventive, intelligence-led operations.
