ADC opposes Nigerian government's decision to apply for a seat on the UN Security Council

OPPOSITION party the  African Democratic Congress (ADC) has opposed the quest by the Nigerian government to secure a seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) saying President Bola Tinubu's should focus on addressing insecurity challenges at home.

At the moment, the United Nations is celebrating its 80th anniversary at its headquarters in New York and among the issues to be addressed is constituting the UNSC. Nigeria's delegation to the summit is being led by vice president Kashim Shettima, who has already addressed the assembly.

This week, Nigeria is expected to push for a permanent seat on the Security Council as Africa's representative to replace Sierra Leone, whose tenure ends at the current summit. There are five permanent members of the Security Council in the US, Russia, China, France and the UK and 10 non-permanent members, who hold their seats for two years.

According to Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC publicity secretary, it is absurd for Nigeria to be seeking a Security Council seat while the country continues to struggle with worsening insecurity. He added that it was wrong for the government to be asking for global responsibilities when it cannot protect the lives of its own citizens.

Mallam Abdullahi said: “It is shocking that the Tinubu administration is asking for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council while bandits are slaughtering Nigerians and taking over parts of the country.  How can a government that cannot provide peace or security at home expect to be taken seriously at the global table where security is discussed?”

“Just last Friday, gunmen attacked a mosque in Yandoto village, Zamfara State, killing worshippers and abducting others. Only weeks earlier, about 45 people were killed in Zamfara, entire villages were sacked and dozens kidnapped, while in Katsina, a similar attack left about 47 people dead, with many more injured or taken hostage.

“In only two months, over 140 Nigerians have been murdered in Zamfara and Katsina alone. Amnesty International reported that more than 10,000 lives have been lost since May 2025 to attacks by armed groups. These are not statistics, they are human beings, Nigerians this administration promised renewed hope.”

Pointing out that the situation is dire, Mallam Abdullahi said that last month, the ADC had  raised the alarm that armed groups in Zamfara State had forced farmers to pay over N56m  before being allowed access to their farmlands. Furthermore, the party argued that the scale of lawlessness in the state raises serious questions about Nigeria’s territorial control, noting that when non-state actors impose levies, restrict access to land and kill without consequences, they function as a parallel authority rather than ordinary criminals.

Mallam Abdullahi added: “In any serious country, these tragedies would have led to resignations, emergency meetings and a complete review of strategy. Here, they are reduced to routine condolence messages from presidential propagandists.

“It is therefore absurd that the same administration, under whose watch Nigerians are being killed daily and bandits are taking control of territories, now seeks to sit at the highest table of global security discussions. The world is not fooled by fine speeches in New York as they see that parts of Nigeria have become killing fields, where life has become, in truth, nasty, brutish, and short.”

According to the ADC, Nigeria’s push for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council will continue to be seen as unrealistic until the government proves it can protect its own citizens. Furthermore, the ADC also criticised President Tinubu for missing the commissioning of new officers at the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna for the second consecutive year, saying he should have used the event to inspire the officers and reassure northern communities under attack.