THIS DAWN — A tweet by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from more than a decade ago on Boko Haram has resurfaced on social media and sparked renewed criticism as Nigerians draw sharp parallels between his past remarks and today’s escalating insecurity.
In the 2014 tweet, Tinubu wrote:
“The festering Boko Haram attacks on the North East and massacre of innocent citizens is concrete proof that Nigeria has no government.”
At the time, the comment was directed at the then-President Goodluck Jonathan administration, which he accused of failing to protect citizens in the face of violent insurgency.
What goes around…
Fast forward to 2025, and critics argue that Tinubu’s warning has come full circle — this time turning back on him as president.
Many Nigerians online are sharply condemning his administration’s handling of security challenges.
They maintained that the same insecurity that he once condemned now defines his government’s legacy.
Atiku Abubakar’s media aide, Paul Ibe, was among those who pointed to the tweet while criticizing the current spill of blood across the country, including large-scale attacks in Benue, Plateau, and Zamfara states.
Mr. Ibe argued the former Lagos governor unknowingly indicted himself
He called the resurgence of violence a sign that “the country lacks leadership under Tinubu.”
Analysts and observers are grappling with the irony of the moment.
In past posts, Tinubu positioned himself as a staunch voice against Boko Haram’s brutality, condemning state failure.
Now, as terror resurges under his watch, his old words are being used to question his administration’s credibility and capacity to govern.
The uproar reached a crescendo with the recent murder of Brigadier general Musa Uba by militants of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
2014 versus 2025
Social media users have compared the situation to what Tinubu criticized in 2014.
Some suggest that the current insecurity amounts to proof that his earlier warning was not just prophetic — but self-reflective.
According to Parallel Facts, a news commentary channel, the tweet is being interpreted by many as a “double standard” and a glaring example of hypocrisy.
Political commentators note that Tinubu’s presidency was once framed around strong governance and security reform.
Now, however, it is being defined by the same national crises he once publicly decried.
As outrage grows, the focus is shifting back to whether the government can deliver on its promise to protect the country — just as Tinubu demanded more than a decade ago.
