Chibok Girls: Tinubu’s 2014 Call for Jonathan’s Resignation Was Justified — Bwala

Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser on Policy Communication to President Bola Tinubu, has defended his principal’s 2014 demand for former President Goodluck Jonathan’s resignation following the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls.

Speaking on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Bwala argued that Tinubu’s call at the time was “legitimate” due to the magnitude of the incident and the government’s initial handling of it.

“In the days of Jonathan, they didn’t have an idea of the solution. Why did I say that? They were in denial about the Chibok girls’ kidnapping. When President Tinubu, then Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, called for Jonathan’s resignation, it was a legitimate call,” Bwala said.

The 2014 Chibok abduction sparked global outrage and became a pivotal point in Nigeria’s fight against insecurity.

Amid renewed concerns over mass kidnappings, critics have resurfaced Tinubu’s earlier stance as similar incidents continue under his administration.

However, Bwala insisted that the security situation under Jonathan was significantly worse, alleging that terrorists had seized control of some areas and were even collecting taxes from locals.

Defending the current government’s approach, he maintained that the Tinubu administration has adopted a strict position against negotiating with kidnappers.

“There was a time the federal government was negotiating (with terrorists), and I think that el-Rufai, the former Kaduna governor, once talked about a national policy at that time, when they said both states and the federal government can be in a situation where they will have to negotiate,” he said.

Bwala argued that ransom payments strengthen criminal groups by funding their activities.

“But President Tinubu came with this zero tolerance on negotiation because it didn’t fit into terrorism financing,” he added. “You are constructively financing terrorism without knowing it… they also use the ransom money to buy more weapons.”

He stressed that the Tinubu administration “does not tolerate the idea of negotiation,” emphasizing its focus on dismantling the financial and operational networks of terrorist organisations.

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