In 2014, amid a wave of violent attacks and mass killings targeting Christians in northern Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, then a leading opposition figure and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), strongly condemned the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan for what he described as a “shameful failure” to protect Christians and other innocent citizens from the onslaught of Boko Haram terrorists.
The condemnation, issued during one of the bloodiest years of the insurgency, has resurfaced in light of renewed international concern over religious persecution in Nigeria. With the United States recently reclassifying Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) over ongoing religious violence, many observers are drawing parallels between the current situation and the horrors witnessed over a decade ago.
Tinubu, who at the time was spearheading opposition efforts against the then-ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said the Jonathan administration had “lost moral credibility” by allowing the continuous massacre of Christians in churches, schools, and villages across the North-East.
“The Jonathan government has failed to act decisively while innocent Christians are being slaughtered,” Tinubu said in a 2014 statement. “Every life matters, but this government has shown little empathy or leadership in the face of mass killings. This failure is both tragic and unforgivable.”
Tinubu’s statement followed a series of devastating Boko Haram attacks in 2014, including the bombing of Christian worship centers in Borno and Yobe States, the massacre of students in Federal Government College, Buni Yadi, and the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls from Chibok, most of whom were Christians.
The opposition leader accused Jonathan’s government of “politicising security” and “failing to confront terrorism with the seriousness it deserves.”
“While our people are being killed daily, the government continues to play politics with human lives,” Tinubu lamented. “A government that cannot secure its citizens or uphold their right to worship freely has lost both legitimacy and the trust of the nation.”
By late 2014, the Boko Haram insurgency had displaced more than 1.5 million people, destroyed hundreds of churches and schools, and claimed tens of thousands of lives — most of them Christian farmers, traders, and students.
Tinubu and other opposition figures repeatedly urged the government to seek international cooperation, reform the security sector, and address the root causes of extremism, such as poverty, illiteracy, and unemployment.“No religion preaches the killing of innocent people,” Tinubu said in one of his public addresses. “If we fail to defend the right to life and faith, then we have failed as a people. Terrorism has no place in Nigeria’s future.”
The Jonathan government, however, often pushed back against criticism, insisting that it was doing its best to combat terrorism. Officials accused opposition leaders of politicising national tragedy and using insecurity to score political points.
Despite these exchanges, the killings continued unabated. By the end of 2014, global reports estimated that Nigeria accounted for nearly 70% of all Christians killed for their faith worldwide, a figure that drew condemnation from international human rights organisations and foreign governments.
It was in this context that Tinubu and the then-emerging APC intensified their call for change, promising that if elected, they would prioritise security, protect religious freedom, and ensure equal justice for all citizens regardless of faith.
That message resonated with millions of Nigerians, culminating in the 2015 general election, which saw the APC defeat the PDP and end Jonathan’s presidency — marking Nigeria’s first peaceful transfer of power from an incumbent to the opposition.
Today, more than a decade later, the United States’ decision to re-designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” has reignited debate about the state of religious freedom and security in the country.
Critics argue that despite changes in leadership, attacks on Christian communities and clergy have persisted, particularly in parts of Kaduna, Benue, Plateau, and Borno States, where extremist groups and armed militias continue to operate.
Religious leaders and civil society groups have urged President Tinubu to honour the principles he once championed by taking decisive action to protect Christians and other vulnerable groups.
“In 2014, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu stood with Christians and called for justice,” one church leader noted. “Now that he is President, Nigerians are watching to see if he will keep that same energy and deliver on his promises of peace and protection.”
For many Nigerians, the designation of the country as a “Country of Particular Concern” is a stark reminder that the fight against religious persecution is far from over.
Tinubu’s earlier condemnation of Jonathan’s government, once seen as a rallying cry for justice , now serves as a benchmark against which his own administration will be judged.
As the world again turns its attention to Nigeria’s religious crisis, observers say the test of leadership lies not in rhetoric but in action, in whether the country’s leaders can finally end a cycle of violence that has plagued the nation for over a decade.
“The Christian population of Nigeria must not be allowed to perish,” Tinubu once said in 2014. “Every Nigerian, Muslim or Christian, deserves to live without fear. That is the sacred duty of leadership.”
With Nigeria once again under international scrutiny, that duty remains as urgent — and as defining — as ever.
