PDP Blames Tinubu Government Over Rising School Abductions, Says Insecurity Now ‘Lived Reality’

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has sharply criticised the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the worsening security situation in the country, describing the recent killing of a kidnapped teacher in Oyo State as evidence of what it called the Federal Government’s failure to protect Nigerians.

In a statement issued on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the opposition party said the continued attacks on schools and abductions of students have become a defining feature of the current administration.

The PDP was reacting to reports that one of the teachers abducted during attacks on three schools in Oyo State had been killed by the kidnappers.

According to the party, insecurity under the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government has moved beyond a national crisis and has now become “the lived reality” of ordinary Nigerians.

“What was once an alarming anomaly has been normalised by a government that has demonstrated, repeatedly, that it lacks either the capacity to fight it or the will to reverse it,” the statement said.

The PDP argued that the latest abduction and killing add to what it described as an “endless catalogue of victims,” while also fuelling a growing ransom economy that continues to place financial and emotional burdens on citizens.

The opposition party extended condolences to the families of the deceased teacher and other abducted victims, while urging the Federal Government to move beyond what it called “performative assurances” and adopt practical, sustained, and result-oriented security measures.

“We charge the government to move beyond their vintage performative assurances of bringing culprits to book. Instead, they should deploy practical, sustained, and results-driven security interventions. Not press releases or condolences only,” the PDP stated.

The party also warned that persistent attacks on schools pose a serious threat to Nigeria’s future, especially at a time the country is already battling one of the highest rates of out-of-school children globally.

According to the PDP, repeated assaults on educational institutions could worsen school attendance, deepen illiteracy, and create long-term developmental setbacks for the country.

“The targeting of schools is not incidental. It is a direct assault on Nigeria’s future,” the statement added.

The party further accused the APC administration of failing to demonstrate sufficient commitment to tackling insecurity, alleging that more energy was being invested in political battles than in strengthening national security.

It called on President Tinubu to channel greater political will and strategic coordination towards rebuilding an effective security architecture capable of protecting lives and communities.

“A whole-of-society approach to security, firmly backed by genuine political will, community engagement, and institutional coordination, can deliver the sustainable results that Nigerians have been promised and denied for too long,” the PDP stated.

The opposition party warned that the government must either confront the security crisis decisively or accept responsibility for what it described as ongoing governance failure.