The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for cancelling scheduled visits to South Africa and Angola, arguing that the move amounts to a symbolic gesture that fails to address Nigeria’s worsening security challenges.

In a statement released on Thursday, PDP National Publicity Secretary Ini Ememobong described the decision, which followed public outrage over the abduction of 25 schoolgirls in Kebbi State, as “the latest and boldest example of tokenism.”

Ememobong contended that while the cancellation might appear empathetic, it does little to confront the escalating violence across the country. He urged the President to show stronger leadership by relocating temporarily to Kebbi and other volatile areas in northern Nigeria to directly oversee security operations.

“The President and Commander-in-Chief must not recline in the comfort of the Presidential Villa at a time when 25 schoolgirls have been abducted and their whereabouts remain unknown,” Ememobong said. He added that such a move would compel security agencies to act more decisively and boost troop morale.

The PDP further linked recent attacks in Kwara State to what it described as the daily reality of fear endured by Nigerians. The party accused the administration of offering denials, rationalised explanations, empty assurances, and superficial gestures such as the cancelled foreign trips, rather than tackling the root of the crisis.