VeryDarkMan Faults Pastor Adeboye Over Tinubu Remarks, Revives 2010 Criticism of Jonathan on Insecurity

VeryDarkMan Faults Pastor Adeboye Over Tinubu Remarks, Revives 2010 Criticism of Jonathan on Insecurity

Social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has criticised the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, over comments suggesting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should not be held solely responsible for Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.

The controversy began after Adeboye spoke at the US-Nigeria Faith Heroes Award Gala in Washington, D.C., on June 23, where he addressed the country’s persistent security challenges, including terrorism, banditry and kidnapping.

During the event, the respected cleric acknowledged that insecurity had spread beyond northern Nigeria to several parts of the country, revealing that he had personally advised President Tinubu to issue a 90-day ultimatum to military commanders to eliminate terrorists or resign from office.

Adeboye also urged the President to identify and prosecute individuals financing terrorism, stressing that those enabling violent groups should face the full weight of the law.

While speaking on the President’s role as Commander-in-Chief, the RCCG leader argued that Tinubu had fulfilled his immediate responsibility by issuing directives to security agencies.

“When a Commander-in-Chief gives an order, he has done his bit. You don’t expect him to wear khaki and go to the battlefield himself,” Adeboye said.

The remarks quickly generated reactions online, with some Nigerians agreeing that the President cannot personally lead military operations, while others argued that he remains ultimately responsible for the performance of the country’s security architecture.

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Joining the debate, VeryDarkMan accused the cleric of applying different standards to President Tinubu compared with former President Goodluck Jonathan.

In a video shared on his Facebook page, the activist displayed archived newspaper reports from 2010 showing Adeboye openly criticising Jonathan’s administration over rising insecurity and kidnappings.

One of the newspaper headlines cited by the activist read: “Adeboye petitions Jonathan over rising kidnappings.”

VeryDarkMan questioned why the cleric appeared more restrained in his criticism of the current administration despite ongoing security challenges across the country.

“Pastor Enoch Adeboye just wants to turn a blind eye because Tinubu is the President. Weren’t you the one in this video protesting years ago with a placard? This is just tribal bigotry,” the activist said.

The social media personality also rejected Adeboye’s argument that issuing directives alone amounted to sufficient leadership.

Drawing an analogy with family leadership, he argued that a father who assigns responsibilities to his children must also ensure they carry out those instructions effectively and take corrective action when they fail.

“As a father, if you give your children instructions to do something and later find out they didn’t do it properly, you either correct them or remove them immediately,” he stated.

According to VeryDarkMan, the same principle should apply to governance, insisting that leaders must be held accountable not only for issuing directives but also for ensuring that their policies produce measurable results.

The exchange has sparked widespread discussion on social media, with opinions sharply divided. Some users supported VeryDarkMan’s call for greater accountability from public officials, while others defended Adeboye’s comments, arguing that the cleric merely explained the constitutional role of the President as Commander-in-Chief.

The debate also reflects broader public concerns over Nigeria’s insecurity, as communities across several states continue to grapple with terrorism, kidnapping, banditry and communal violence despite ongoing military operations.

Security experts have consistently maintained that tackling the country’s security crisis will require improved intelligence gathering, stronger coordination among security agencies, better equipment for security personnel and sustained political commitment from all levels of government.

Beyond the immediate exchange, the controversy has reignited conversations about the role of influential religious leaders in public affairs, with many Nigerians debating whether clerics should focus solely on spiritual guidance or also speak more directly on governance, accountability and national development.

VeryDarkMan Faults Pastor Adeboye Over Tinubu Remarks, Revives 2010 Criticism of Jonathan on Insecurity