The African Democratic Congress has berated President Bola Tinubu for attending the Argungu International fishing festival at a time when over 1,300 were killed by terrorists. 

In a statement on Sunday, the party spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the ADC was “concerned that at a time of rising insecurity, the President and Commander-in-Chief was in Argungu attending a fishing festival, even as credible reports indicate that nearly 1,300 Nigerians have been killed in the last 41 days.’’

He stated once again, innocent Nigerians and their families were left to bear the tragic brunt of terror while the President fiddles away at a festival.

Alluding to a video released by Boko Haram terrorists parading hundreds of hostages, including women and children, kidnapped from Woro community in the Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, the ADC spokesperson said, “Terrorists now view kidnapping as a commercial enterprise, and they are determined not to be short-changed in the ransom negotiations they expect will follow.”

The ADC party also raised the alarm over terrorists taking up territories in Kwara State, fearing they could overrun South-West states with time.

Mr Abdullahi recalled that the southern part of Kwara State had been under sustained terrorists’ pressure since last year.

He added, “Now, with attacks spreading northward at scale, terrorists appear to be tightening their grip on the state and exploiting it as a potential haven. The implications for the wider country are both clear and alarming. It is therefore shocking that the President could choose to attend a fishing festival while terrorists threaten to expand their operations.

“For clarity, we wish to underline the strategic significance of what is unfolding in Kwara State. The Kaiama axis provides a direct link into Oyo State. Any sustained insurgent activity within this corridor could therefore create wider vulnerabilities across parts of the North-Central and the South-West. The situation in Kwara State must not be treated as an isolated incident but as a potential early warning of geographic expansion by terror actors.”

Mr Tinubu, who graced the 61st Argungun fishing festival on Saturday, said, “I witnessed more than a festival. I witnessed a people reclaiming their peace. The 61st Argungu International Fishing and Cultural Festival is proof that stability is gradually returning, that normalcy is taking root, and that our investments in security are yielding results.’’