Nigeria’s main opposition party, the People's Democratic Party (PDP), has condemned the Christmas Eve explosion at a mosque in Gamboru Market, Maiduguri, describing the incident as “one too many” and a stark reminder of the country’s worsening security situation.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the PDP said the attack underscored what it called the federal government’s failure to meet its “irreducible minimum” responsibility of protecting lives and property.
The party accused the current administration of resorting to rhetoric and politicisation of security challenges rather than taking decisive action.
“The news of an explosion in a mosque in Gamboru Market, Maiduguri, is another sad reminder of the rising insecurity that has become the unfortunate contemporary reality that Nigerians face,” the party said.
The opposition party expressed condolences to the families of those killed in the attack, stressing that no Nigerian should lose their life while worshipping.
It warned that continued attacks on places of worship could undermine citizens’ constitutional right to freedom of religion and deepen fear across the country.
“If these attacks on places of worship continue unchecked, they will not only violate the constitutional right of Nigerians to freely worship but will also create an atmosphere of fear that threatens the very fabric of our religious society,” the statement added.
The PDP called on both federal and state governments to take “immediate and practical steps” to secure citizens during the yuletide season and beyond.
It said Nigerians needed “concrete, actionable security strategies deployed on the ground,” rather than what it described as empty promises.
