The Makinde/Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation (MDPCO) has condemned the handling of insecurity by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, following the abduction of 19 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their orientation camps in the South-East and South-South.

The campaign organisation, in a statement issued yesterday by its Director of Strategic Communications, Richard Ihediwa, described the October 1 abduction as another indication of what it called the failure of the Federal Government to adequately protect Nigerians, particularly youths undertaking national service.

It alleged that the administration’s approach to security had emboldened terrorists, bandits and kidnappers to carry out attacks and abduct citizens with increasing frequency.

The group said it was particularly disturbing that parents who had made considerable sacrifices to educate their children through tertiary institutions could see them exposed to danger while travelling for a national assignment.

“This latest abduction is not isolated. It is part of the horrifying reality under the Tinubu administration, where homes, communities, markets, places of worship, schools and highways are being overrun by marauders and criminal elements,” the statement said.

The organisation further alleged that the security situation had deteriorated significantly under the present administration, claiming that more than 600,000 Nigerians had reportedly been killed by terrorists, bandits and other criminal groups in the period under review.

It, however, acknowledged the sacrifices of security personnel, saying the military and other security agencies had continued to demonstrate gallantry despite the challenges confronting the country.

The campaign organisation argued that the Federal Government needed to strengthen intelligence gathering, inter-agency coordination, preventive operations and rapid response mechanisms to address the country’s security challenges.

It cited the security approach of the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Seyi Makinde, in Oyo State, saying his administration had emphasised coordinated operations, intelligence sharing, collaboration and preventive measures.

The group consequently presented Makinde as an alternative to the Tinubu administration ahead of the January 16, 2027 presidential election, saying he had demonstrated leadership capacity and experience in addressing security and other national challenges.

The campaign organisation expressed solidarity with Nigerians affected by insecurity, particularly families of the abducted prospective corps members, and urged citizens to remain steadfast in the face of the security challenges confronting the country.

It said the proposed Makinde/Daura administration would work towards what it described as a “reset” of the country and provide a new direction for national development.