Politics
Botched Chibok Trip: Riding In The Storm
“Man is not the creature of circumstances, circumstances are the creature of men
-Benjamin Disraeli
Until April 14, 2014,
Chibok, a subsurb community of about 90 kilometres from Maiduguri, the Borno State Capital, was perhaps not known by many people outside the state capital or better still the North East geo-political zone of the country.
But the unfortunate incident of April 14 rather opened another window in the history of Chibok, where a government secondary school is sited. Like the history of many communities, the unfortunately circumstance that played out in Chibok and eventually lifted the Borno community to what many called a national embarrassment or a slap on the nation’s security, was better imagined than experienced.
No fewer than 200 girls of the secondary school were abducted by Islamic militants of Boko Haram sect; a situation which Borno State governor described as, “a dark era in the history of insurgency in the state.”
Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states are under emergency rule as a result of terrorist attacks that have claimed many lives. Though, the actual number of the girls in the den of the abductors is still not certain, days and weeks came by, but there was no report where the girls were camped. This perhaps heightened the fear that all may not be well with the abducted girls, more so with unconfirmed reports that they were allegedly being raped, abused and enslaved by Boko Haram gunmen.
Just as the security personnel continued to comb the forest for the abducted girls without success, parents and well-meaning Nigerians, most of whom went into fasting for divine intervention, demanded for the release of the female students. The nationwide protests by labour and civil society groups added a new dimension to the unfortunate incident, coming on the heels of the arrival of foreign anti-terrorism experts to assist in the ongoing search and rescue of the abducted Chibok girls.
United States of America (USA), which had earlier predicted the disintegration of Nigeria by 2015, saw the Boko Haram terrorists attacks as an opportunity to act the Big Brother role of protecting Nigeria from terrorist insurgency. Britain, Israel and few other nations reportedly offered their counter-terrorism experts to carry out the surgical operations of the cancerous growth at the neck of our dear country; a price, which is still shrouded in secrecy.
There was optimism in many quarters that with the international community deploying its considerable military and intelligence-gathering skills and assets in support of Nigeria’s efforts at fighting terrorism, success was in sight. But as weeks went by with no hope of the abducted girls being released, hopelessness and betrayal became the mood of most Nigerians with several accusations of the Presidency being incapable of steering the ship of the nation.
As the riddle of the Chibok girls abduction remains unsolved, Nigerians woke up to the claims and counter-claims about President Jonathan’s aborted trip to Chibok, apparently designed to reinforce confidence on Nigerians on his administration’s ability and capacity to fight Boko Haram insurgency to a stand still.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) took the President and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the cleaners and the latter replied not without casting aspersions on the former’s alleged plan to pull down the President or discredit his actions and programmes.
APC, yearning for change in the political landscape of the country, believed that Jonathan’s aborted visit to Chibok betrayed Nigerians who voted him into office. In a statement in Lagos, APC Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, accused Jonathan of bungling the fight against the sect as well as exhibited cluelessness in handling the abduction of the school girls.
As if that was not strong enough to pull the carpet off the feet of Jonathan, APC added that the President’s action, “deepened the pains of the parents and guardians of the girls and indeed that of the whole nation, when he should have been the consoler-in-chief at such a difficult time for a nation he leads.”
Side by side with that discredit, APC noted that Jonathan threw away to the winds the chance of redeeming the battered global image of his administration in handling the abduction of the school girls.
APC’s reaction to Jonathan’s alleged aborted Chibok visit, no doubt, suggests that the President, who is afraid to visit a crisis zone, cannot lay claim to being a Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Importantly, APC’s presentation of garment of shame on the Jonathan administration is not ignorant of the fact that its supporters are likely to decode such message with partisan lens and operationalise their stand for a change in Nigeria.
But the ruling PDP refused to be taken to the gallows as a sacrificial lamb. Jonathan’s spokesman, Dr Reuben Abati, discountanced the report that Jonathan refused or cancelled the visit to Chibok.
According to him, there was no plan on the itinerary of the President to visit Chibok even when it was widely reported that the president’s advanced team had landed in Borno State.
Wondering how the Press may have carried the report of the president’s visit to Chibok, Abati believed that it might be the handiwork of mischief makers.
If Reuben Abati was economical with his defence and explanation, Special Adviser on Media to the Rivers State PDP Chairman, Jerry Needam, was not. He took the prosecutor’s bread back to the prosecutor. In an attempt to unmask what he called “APC’s self righteousness and political glory,” Needam said the opposition party’s action was only intended to nail PDP and the President to the wall for the populace to see.
“We know the stock in trade of APC. We are not unaware that APC is all out to pull the President down or discredit his actions”, “Needam said.
According to him, APC cannot justify what he called the “noise” it was making about the Chibok girls side by side the fact that both the Borno State Governor (Shettima) and the government are of APC stock. “Who is fooling who?,” he asked.
Rather than shift the goal post, Needam said Shettima and APC have the moral burden to tell Nigerians what happened at Chibok especially against the backdrop that the Borno State governor reportedly directed the students to sit their WAEC examination at Chibok against security advice of the examination body and the Federal Ministry of Education.
It may not be a matter of who is right or wrong in the alleged aborted Chibok visit by Mr President, if Nigerians realise that in security matters, one plus one is not usually two.
While the botched Chibok visit rides in the storm, Nigerians are unanimous that the abduction of the Chibok girls should be devoid of politics, and if we must play politics, it must be done objectively.
Surely, the last may not have been heard about the abduction of the Chibok girls, but making a mincemeat out of it amounts to a show of shame for Nigeria and Nigerians when the citizens should be united irrespective of party affiliation in the war to free the nation from the clutches of terrorists.
Samuel Eleonu
Abducted students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State
In a statement issued on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Obiora Ifoh, the party said it had taken note of Mr Obi’s defection alongside some of his supporters, as well as what it called a “lacklustre speech” delivered by the former Anambra State governor at the defection event.
“We wondered what new he intends to sell to Nigerians,” the party said, adding that it was not surprised by the move, having “since September 2024, parted ways with Peter Obi and some of his blind supporters in the National Assembly.”
According to the statement, the faction said it had patiently awaited Mr Obi’s exit, describing it as a blessing.
“The party is finally liberated by this defection and as party leaders, we count it as a blessing,” the party said.
The faction further disclosed that it had previously urged Mr Obi and his supporters to leave if they were unable to work with the party leadership.
It claimed that several lawmakers had been suspended for anti-party activities and that similar action would have been taken against Mr Obi but for the intervention of “some well-meaning Nigerians.”
It also blamed its internal crisis on Mr Obi and Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, accusing them of sponsoring what it described as an insurrection against the Julius Abure-led leadership.
“The crisis we had in the Labour Party was caused by Peter Obi and the Abia State governor, Alex Otti,” the statement alleged, adding that it was surprising Dr Otti had not followed Mr Obi out of the party despite his suspension.
Reacting to Mr Obi’s defection event in Enugu, the faction claimed the gathering was largely boycotted by prominent political and traditional institutions in the South East, insisting that those present were “political spent forces who cannot win in their wards should there be an election today.”
It warned that this development signalled the failure of any future Mr Obi presidential or vice-presidential ambition, claiming he had “clearly lost the charm that had endeared him to the people prior to 2023.”
The faction also accused Mr Obi of misleading the South East during the 2023 elections, alleging that the region suffers political marginalisation under President Bola Tinubu’s administration as a result.
“He must be told that the South East lost out completely in President Ahmed Tinubu’s government because they trusted and believed in him in 2023,” the statement said, alleging disparities in ministerial appointments and infrastructure allocation to the zone.
The Abure-Led LP apologised to Nigerians for its decision in the last election.
“We gave Nigerians a candidate we thought was good for the nation in 2023, but time has since proved that we made the greatest political mistake. We plead for forgiveness from Nigerians,” the party said.
It urged Nigerians to watch out for a rebranded Labour Party, promising to present “the best prospect” capable of returning Nigeria to what it described as its “glorious days.”
steadily toward unity, justice, and shared prosperity”, he said.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday at his country home in Ikere-Ekiti, Dr Oluyede said the development came as a shock, stressing that INEC supervised and monitored the PDP governorship primary that produced him as the party’s candidate.
According to him, INEC officials documented the process, completed all required forms, and even affirmed his candidacy in court through sworn affidavits arising from cases linked to the primary election.
He maintained that no court order or injunction currently restrains INEC from listing his name as the PDP candidate, arguing that the electoral body lacks the constitutional power to determine who emerges as a party’s nominee.
Dr Oluyede described such decisions as the exclusive responsibility of political parties, not the electoral umpire.
While playing down panic over the released list, Dr Oluyede noted that electoral processes often involve reviews and corrections.
He disclosed that he had commenced wide consultations, including engagements with PDP leadership and formal correspondence with INEC, to seek clarification on the omission and determine the next line of action.
The PDP candidate assured his supporters across Ekiti State that he would appear on the ballot, expressing confidence that the situation would be resolved in his favour.
He described attempts to exclude candidates from elections as dangerous and undemocratic, warning that such tactics undermine the people’s right to freely choose their leaders.
Dr Oluyede called on the people of Ekiti to reject any form of disenfranchisement, insisting that elections should be contests of ideas, records, and acceptance by the electorate rather than exclusionary maneuvers.
He also declared that the PDP in Ekiti had resolved its past internal crises and was now united, focused, and ready to win the forthcoming governorship election.
He urged party members and supporters to remain calm and focused, expressing optimism that, with divine grace and the will of the people, the PDP would emerge victorious at the polls.
Mr Obi spoke while formally declaring for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) at a well-attended event in Enugu on Wednesday, where he outlined what he described as a fresh roadmap for rescuing the country from its socio-economic challenges.
Addressing party members, supporters and other stakeholders, the former governor stressed that leadership must be driven by integrity and accountability, warning against the culture of double standards in public office.
“We cannot continue to deceive our people. Leadership is about telling the truth and leading by example. You cannot promise one thing in public and do another in private. That is not leadership, and that is not the change Nigeria needs”, Mr Obi said.
He maintained that genuine national rebirth would only be possible if entrenched wrongs were corrected, adding that governance must be guided by competence, discipline and a clear sense of purpose.
Mr Obi also underscored the need for fresh thinking in the nation’s political space, urging political actors to move away from recycled ideas that have failed to deliver sustainable development.
“We must come with new ideas,” he said, adding that “Nigeria’s problems are not mysterious; what has been lacking is the courage and competence to address them differently. We need a new approach that puts people first and focuses on production, not consumption.”
Calling for a broad based political collaboration, Mr Obi appealed to parties and stakeholders across ideological divides to work together in the national interest.
“This country is bigger than any party or individual. All parties must come together to change the present trend. What matters is not the platform, but the future of Nigeria and the wellbeing of its citizens”, he declared.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Mr Obi challenged aspirants seeking elective offices to ensure transparency in their credentials, warning that the era of falsified certificates was drawing to a close.
“Anyone contesting for any position in 2027 must come with genuine certificates. All the machinery is now in place to verify what is genuine and what is not. Integrity must start from the very foundation of leadership”, he stated.
Drawing lessons from international development models, Mr Obi cited Rwanda and Indonesia as examples of countries that rose from difficult beginnings to become thriving economies through disciplined leadership and sound policies.
“These countries were once behind us,” he noted, adding that “Today, they are moving ahead because they chose competent leadership, clear vision and policies that support local production and human capital development.”
He also criticised the economic policies of the present administration, particularly the continued importation of food items that can be produced locally, describing such practices as inimical to national development.
“You cannot grow an economy by killing local production. Importing food that we can produce in Nigeria destroys jobs, weakens our farmers and drains our foreign exchange. A serious country must produce what it consumes”, he argued.
The event featured renewed calls from ADC supporters for sustained engagement and mobilisation, as Mr Obi reiterated his belief that Nigeria remains redeemable if led with honesty, competence and a commitment to shared national progress.
In his remarks, the National Chairman of the ADC, Senator David Mark, expressed confidence in the emerging coalition, assuring Nigerians that the party would deliver good governance at all levels of administration if entrusted with power.
The gathering also witnessed the defection of several prominent politicians from different political parties across the South-East and beyond.
The motion endorsing the defection was moved by a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, and seconded by former economic adviser to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof. Osita Ogbu.
Goodwill messages from notable political figures, including Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Mrs. Aisha Yesufu, Chief Sam Egwu, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, Chief Achike Udenwa, Mr Onyema Ugochukwu and Senator Gilbert Nnaji among others, further underscored the growing momentum within the ADC.