The Department of State Services (DSS) has summoned Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the 2023 vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party, over recent remarks security sources describe as “inciting” and capable of heightening political tension in Nigeria. Baba-Ahmed was invited after a series of television appearances in which he sharply criticised the conduct of the judiciary and the military around the swearing-in of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, and dismissed aspects of the administration’s security strategy as a “joke”.
According to security and counter‑insurgency sources cited in media reports, Baba-Ahmed, during one national television interview, accused the judiciary and the armed forces of enabling what he described as a “constitutional crisis” by allowing the inauguration of the Tinubu administration to proceed despite contested election outcomes.
Therefore, one source said, “A few days ago, Baba-Ahmed was on national television blaming the judiciary and the military for allowing the swearing-in of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima. He even went to the length of inciting the military, saying it was President Tinubu’s swearing-in that made it possible for them to look you in the face and call you ‘bloody fools.”
The security officials argued that such language carries “undertones capable of heightening national tension,” especially given Nigeria’s current political climate and recent experiences of instability in other West African states. One insider stressed that the concern was about national stability, not partisan politics, warning that “the corporate existence of our nation could be threatened if such rhetoric is allowed to fester.”
Another sources within the DSS told journalists that the invitation is described internally as a preventive measure rather than a punishment.
“These sessions are not punitive; they are preventive, focused on clarifying intent, contextualising the remarks, and preventing the emergence of narratives that could unintentionally fuel unrest,” one source explained, adding that Baba-Ahmed’s description of government efforts to improve security as a “joke” could inflame public sentiment and weaken trust in state institutions if left unaddressed.
In a separate recent appearance on Arise News, Baba-Ahmed criticised the Federal Government’s plan to recruit additional security personnel and opposed President Tinubu’s advice to state governments to reconsider boarding schools in highly insecure areas, arguing that such measures risk allowing bandits and terrorists to shape national policy by force. His supporters say he is raising legitimate concerns about governance and security, while critics within the security establishment insist that his tone and choice of words cross the line into incitement that may endanger national development.
