Politics
ADC blasts Shettima over UN speech, says government blind to Nigeria’s hunger, bloodshed
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has taken a swipe at Vice President Kashim Shettima for his address at the United Nations, accusing him of turning a blind eye to Nigeria’s worsening insecurity and economic collapse while speaking on the Palestinian cause.
In a statement on Thursday, Jackie Wayas, the party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, described Shettima’s remarks as a squandered opportunity to rally global support to confront Nigeria’s crises.
According to Wayas, the country is on the brink, with bandits holding communities hostage, farmers fleeing their fields, food production plunging, and prices of essentials skyrocketing.
“Only days ago, Nigerians watched in disbelief as heavily armed bandits, ammunition strapped across their necks, shamelessly held a press conference in Katsina. That spectacle is not just embarrassing, it is a national disgrace and a damning indictment of any government that claims to control its territory,” she said.
The ADC accused the administration of chasing international relevance while Nigerians suffer at home.
“Rather than seek global partners to help Nigeria overcome insecurity and hunger, this government chose to focus on another nation’s struggle. Nigerians deserve leaders who place their safety and dignity above grandstanding abroad,” Wayas declared.
She added that hunger is tightening its grip on millions of households as insecurity strangles food production and distribution.
“Charity begins at home. Nigerians are not collateral damage in a government’s desperate search for validation on the world stage. Until our leaders face insecurity with courage, no lofty speech abroad can mask the agony at home,” she said.
While acknowledging solidarity with Palestinians, the ADC stressed that Nigerian leaders must first confront killings, kidnappings, and mass hunger devastating their own citizens.
The party called for urgent measures to protect farmers, stabilise food prices, and dismantle the machinery of banditry once and for all.
