Onoh Disowns Igbokwe’s Views on Insecurity, Kidnapping As Reason Against Tinubu's reelection

Former South-East Spokesman for President Bola Tinubu, Dr. Josef Onoh, has distanced the President from remarks by APC chieftain Joe Igbokwe linking the kidnapping of schoolchildren to efforts to stop Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.

In a statement issued to journalists on Saturday, Onoh said Tinubu “does not share the apparent sentiments embedded in Igbokwe’s intervention, nor is he engaged in any form of political brinkmanship with the blood of Nigerians.”

Igbokwe had claimed in a widely circulated publication that kidnapping of schoolchildren was “to stop President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from winning 2027 elections,” which he described as a “poor strategy.” 

He also urged governors to “take charge of the security affairs of their States with support from the Federal Government,” and called kidnapping a “huge and lucrative business.”

Onoh said that framing of the crisis risks implying “systemic federal helplessness or a subtle call to fragment national security architecture,” which he insisted is not the President’s position.

Onoh maintained that Tinubu’s approach has been “resolute, multi-layered strategic engagement aimed at eradicating insecurity at its roots, rather than managing or shifting responsibility for it.” 

He argued that insecurity demands “unified federal leadership, intelligence fusion, and kinetic/non-kinetic synergy — not a devolution that could create security fiefdoms vulnerable to local political capture.”

He listed administration efforts to back the claim such as enhanced military and intelligence operations; Sustained offensives against banditry, terrorism and kidnapping syndicates in the North-West, North-East and emerging threats in the South, with improved air-land coordination, special forces deployment and technology-driven surveillance.

He further counted the Multiple successful rescues of victims in states including Kebbi and Kwara, which Onoh said involved “direct presidential oversight and commendations for security agencies.”

Infrastructure development to aid rapid response, youth empowerment and agricultural revitalization in vulnerable areas to reduce poverty-induced criminality.

Working with governors while maintaining federal primacy in defence and intelligence, strengthening legal frameworks for prosecuting kidnappers, and improving inter-agency coordination via the National Security Adviser’s office.

“These efforts reflect a clear strategic focus: decimate the criminal ecosystems making kidnapping ‘lucrative,’ rather than merely negotiating with or accommodating them,” Onoh said.

Onoh described Igbokwe’s publication as “highly insensitive to the collective sensibilities of Nigerians, particularly the grieving families of victims — schoolchildren, teachers, farmers, and travelers.” 

He said reducing the crisis to a call for governors to adopt a new approach because it has become a business “borders on victim-blaming by implication and trivializes the human cost.”

“Nigerians expect empathy, unity, and results from leaders across party lines — not statements that could be weaponized by opposition elements to score cheap political points,” he added.

Onoh also cautioned that insecurity predates Tinubu’s administration and is “fueled by decades of policy neglect, porous borders, illegal arms trafficking, and socio-economic despair.” He urged APC leaders to align public comments with the President’s documented security commitments.

“President Tinubu remains focused on delivering a safer, more prosperous Nigeria. The administration’s efforts in rescues, operational intensity, and root-cause interventions speak louder than any single publication,” Onoh concluded.