Ribadu Comes Out Swinging: “Underestimate Tinubu at Your Own Risk”

Ribadu Comes Out Swinging: “Underestimate Tinubu at Your Own Risk”

The Nigerian World.

The news as it trends.

In a fiery defense of President Bola Tinubu, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has issued a stern warning to critics: underestimate Tinubu at your own peril.

Speaking amid rising political tension and growing opposition momentum, Ribadu described Tinubu as a “digital President” with the vision and capacity to transform Nigeria.

He dismissed the opposition as relics of a failed political past, clinging to outdated ideas and underestimating the strength of the current administration.

Ribadu’s remarks come as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) accuses the Tinubu-led government of fabricating coup allegations to justify a crackdown on dissent ahead of the 2027 elections.

The opposition coalition includes politicians like Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Under Ribadu’s comments on social media, some critics also warned that the opposition’s makeup reflects a long history of failed presidential bids.

Atiku has run for president six times and failed.

Obi has contested twice, gaining massive youth support in 2023.

Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano, ran once and came fourth.

All three are now aligned under the ADC umbrella, joined by figures like Nasir El-Rufai, Rotimi Amaechi, and David Mark.

Despite this growing coalition, Ribadu insists Tinubu’s leadership remains unmatched.

He argues that the President’s digital approach and reform agenda are already reshaping Nigeria’s political and economic landscape.

Despite Ribadu’s warning, internal divisions continue to plague the opposition.

Some PDP leaders have distanced themselves from the ADC alliance, while the ADC camp itself remains divided over who the presidential candidate should be.

Others have defected entirely, fueling accusations of political opportunism and catering largely to a politics of populism — which, in many cases, is seen as a cosmetic facelift masking deeper fractures.

The inner workings of the opposition remain far removed from the reality of winning a national election, especially when the center cannot hold and there is no consensus on who the presidential candidate should be.

As the 2027 elections approach, the political battlefield is heating up.

Ribadu’s warning, according to political analysts on social media, is more than rhetoric — it’s a signal that the Tinubu administration is ready to fight back against what it sees as coordinated efforts to undermine its legitimacy.

Whether the opposition can overcome its internal fractures and present a united front remains to be seen.

Yetunde B reports for Yeyetunde’s Blog