Tinubu Is Failing Nigerians on Security — Kenneth Okonkwo

Former Labour Party spokesperson and Nollywood actor, Kenneth Okonkwo, has strongly criticized the administration of President Bola Tinubu, accusing it of failing to protect Nigerians amid ongoing insecurity in several parts of the country.

Speaking during an interview with News Central TV, Okonkwo condemned what he described as continued violence and bloodshed in states like Benue and Plateau, attributing the insecurity to the federal government’s inability to fulfill its basic duty of protecting lives.

“There is no way anybody will be praising this government and not appear like a fool,” Okonkwo said. “Nigerians are dying — not because they committed any crime — but because Tinubu is their President and he has failed to defend them.”

The former Labour Party spokesman said the suffering in Nigeria worsened following President Tinubu’s announcement during his inauguration in May 2023 that the fuel subsidy had been removed. He noted that this declaration was made before the President had even appointed a cabinet, which he believes contributed to policy instability.

“Fuel prices jumped from N195 to N617 in one go. Then the naira was floated and quickly depreciated. The only thing the government asks of Nigerians is to be patient — six months, one year, two years into the term — and yet the hardship persists,” Okonkwo stated.

He further criticized the ongoing security crisis in Benue State, an APC-led state governed by a Catholic priest, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia.

“Spiritually, you would expect protection; politically, you would expect results. But neither is happening. People in Benue are being massacred by terrorists and killer herders with no clear solution in sight,” he said.

Highlighting similar violence in Plateau, the North-West, and South-West regions, Okonkwo decried what he called the government’s failure to use security intelligence to prevent attacks, saying, “They only bring security reports for political protection, not for the security of ordinary Nigerians.”

He concluded by stating that security is the most fundamental obligation of any government, and in that regard, the Tinubu administration “has failed.”