Like many politicians before him, Bola Tinubu continues to display a clear disconnect between his past rhetoric and his current actions as president. His response to the Benue killings makes his earlier commentaries on national issues — once viewed as principled — now appear to have been politically expedient statements made at the time to advance his ambition.

Tinubu has deflected responsibility for the violence by herdsmen in Benue. Speaking during his recent visit to the state capital, Tinubu, in a bid to appear concerned, questioned the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on why no one had been arrested for the killings. He charged the IGP: “I expect there should be an arrest of those criminals. Let’s get those criminals.” 

For a president whose primary constitutional obligation is the security and welfare of Nigerians to be pondering on why the perpetrators of such a magnitude of violence haven’t been arrested — and issuing orders for their arrest days after the massacre — highlights just how detached Tinubu is from the suffering of the victims of the violence. 

He reportedly urged the Benue Governor Hyacinth Alia to “allocate land for ranching” — as if a refusal to sell land was why criminal herders were attacking Benue communities in what the Tor Tiv, Orchivirigh Prof. James Ayatse, called a “calculated, well-planned, full-scale genocidal invasion and land-grabbing campaign by herder-terrorists and bandits.” 

Tinubu’s response stands in stark contrast to his 2013-2014 position during the Boko Haram crisis under President Goodluck Jonathan. Then, as the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), he laid the blame for the violence squarely at Jonathan’s feet.

He criticised Jonathan’s handling of insecurity, saying, “On matters of security, the buck stops at the president’s table.” He added, “Just as Jonathan laps up praises, he must bear responsibility and accept blame over Boko Haram’s deadly attacks.” He even called for Jonathan’s resignation, labelling him a “failure” who lacked “capacity, vision and creativity.” 

More than a decade later, Tinubu faces a similar challenge with the violence in Benue. Over 200 people were reportedly killed in repeated attacks in the state, with thousands displaced. Yet, the president’s response has been disappointing.

Instead of accepting responsibility, Tinubu had earlier urged political and community leaders in the state to avoid “inflammatory utterances that could further increase tensions and killings.” He also didn’t spare the state governor, demanding that he “act as a statesman and immediately lead the process of dialogue and reconciliation that will bring peace to Benue.”

By the standards he once set, Tinubu has failed, and continues to show a worrying lack of the “capacity, vision, and creativity” he once accused Jonathan of lacking in addressing violence.

Between May 2023 — when Tinubu assumed office — and May 2025, more than 5,000 people have reportedly died in violent clashes, including between Fulani herders and Benue farmers. According to eyewitness accounts, many of these conflicts arise from herders encroaching on farmlands, destroying crops and allowing cattle to graze freely on farmers’ produce.

In his May 29, 2023, inaugural speech, Tinubu pledged that “Security shall be the top priority of our administration.” He promised to “reform both our security doctrine and its architecture,” and vowed to invest in better training, equipment, and welfare for security personnel.

To his credit, he has made large budgetary provisions for security. In 2024, his administration allocated N3.25 trillion to defence and security out of a N27.5 trillion national budget. In 2025, that allocation increased to N4.91 trillion from N49.7 trillion. 

However, despite these significant allocations, reports suggest the impact on ground operations remains minimal, with security forces still underequipped and overstretched.

The number of violence across the country is damning. On June 14, 2023, just two weeks after his inauguration, Amnesty International reported over 120 people were killed. Also, according to the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), more than 600 Nigerians were killed between May 29 and July 13, 2023, during Tinubu’s first 45 days in office.

ICIR further reports that 2,336 people were killed in violent attacks during the first three months of 2024, averaging 26 deaths per day. Between May 29, 2023, and May 22, 2024, over 4,556 fatalities and 7,086 abductions were recorded across Nigeria, stemming largely from the actions of non-state actors, including Fulani bandits, insurgents, ethnic militias, and criminal gangs.

Tinubu must be reminded of his own words: that when it comes to protecting the lives and property of Nigerians, the buck stops with him. Just as he held Jonathan accountable in 2014, he must today accept full responsibility for the state of insecurity in Benue and other states. 

In 2014, Tinubu described Nigeria’s security outlook as “depressing,” adding that the persistent attacks reflected a “failure of intelligence.” Over a decade later, Nigerians are saying the same about his government. They demand that he rethink his strategy and demonstrate leadership. If he fails to do so, Nigerians, by his own precedent, would be right in demanding his resignation.

Ojo Maduekwe runs Discussing Africa Media. Write him: mrmaduekwe@gmail.com