ADC Faults Tinubu’s Absence As Nigerians Mark Armed Forces Remembrance Day

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has joined Nigerians in commemorating the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day, paying tribute to fallen heroes and serving personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

The party, in a statement on Thursday by its spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, however, criticised President Bola Tinubu’s absence from the national observance.

In described the President’s unavailability on such a solemn occasion as disturbing, stressing that the physical and moral presence of the Commander-in-Chief is a powerful symbol of solidarity with troops and military families, especially amid worsening insecurity across the country.

The ADC noted that Armed Forces Remembrance Day is a moment that demands leadership, reflection and national unity at the highest level, adding that the absence of the President sends the wrong signal to soldiers deployed on multiple fronts against insurgency, banditry and other violent crimes.

According to the party, leadership in times of crisis cannot be reduced to ceremony or delegated, insisting that the Commander-in-Chief’s presence on the day is not optional but a statement of responsibility, respect and shared sacrifice.

While honouring fallen servicemen and women and commending those still in active service, the ADC also acknowledged the resilience of military families, whom it said continue to bear the heavy burden of Nigeria’s security challenges.

The party urged that remembrance should go beyond wreath-laying and speeches, calling for leadership that matches the sacrifices of the armed forces with competent governance, clear security strategies and genuine political will, rather than image management or political convenience.