The Presidency has dismissed African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar’s campaign promise to open Nigeria’s borders if elected, insisting that the country’s land borders are already open.
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, made this known in a statement on Friday titled, ‘Atiku and the Borders: Nigerians Deserve Facts, Not Campaign Slogans’.
Dare said the Federal Government had announced the reopening of most of Nigeria’s land borders on March 14, 2024, and had not reversed the decision.
“The facts are straightforward, Nigeria’s land borders are already open. The Federal Government announced the reopening of most of the country’s land borders on 14 March 2024, and it has not reversed that position.
“It is therefore difficult to understand which borders the former Vice President intends to open when the borders are already open,” he said.
The presidential aide noted that Tinubu had also personally inaugurated the Kamba border in Kebbi State on February 14, 2026, with what he described as economic and diplomatic benefits.
Dare, however, said if Atiku’s proposal referred to relaxing existing border controls, the former Vice President should provide details of the specific measures he intended to remove and explain how his administration would address the resulting security risks.
He said such safeguards would be necessary to prevent terrorism, arms trafficking, smuggling, human trafficking and other forms of transnational organised crime.
Dare also criticised Atiku’s campaign rhetoric, accusing him of making statements aimed at attracting and misleading voters.
The presidential aide stressed that an open border should not be confused with an uncontrolled border, noting that modern border management seeks to facilitate legitimate movement and trade while preventing criminals and terrorist groups from exploiting border routes.
He said effective border management required immigration controls, customs administration, intelligence-sharing, surveillance technology and coordinated security operations.
Dare also pointed to Nigeria’s geographical position, noting that the country shares borders with Niger, Chad and Cameroon, while parts of the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin continue to face terrorism, violent extremism and organised crime.
Citing the Global Terrorism Index 2026, he said approximately 41 per cent of terrorist attacks occurred within 50 kilometres of an international border, while about 64 per cent occurred within 100 kilometres.
According to him, border communities are particularly vulnerable where difficult terrain, limited government presence and weak coordination create opportunities for terrorist groups to operate.
Dare argued that the deployment of security personnel along Nigeria’s North-East and North-West corridors should not be interpreted as evidence that the borders are closed.
“As domestic insurgencies evolve into increasingly networked and transnational terrorist threats, effective border management becomes an indispensable component of national security,” he said.
He added that terrorists and criminal networks often exploited international boundaries because security forces could not pursue suspects across sovereign borders without appropriate legal frameworks and cooperation between countries.
Dare said Atiku, having previously served as Vice President, should understand the distinction between border openness and border security.
He challenged the ADC presidential candidate to present a detailed policy explaining how he would improve border surveillance, strengthen intelligence-sharing with neighbouring countries, modernise customs and immigration operations, deploy technology and protect border communities.
“What Nigerians should reasonably expect from a presidential aspirant is not a slogan about ‘opening borders,’ but a detailed explanation of how his administration would improve border surveillance, strengthen intelligence-sharing with neighbouring states, modernise customs and immigration operations, deploy technology, protect border communities and deepen regional cooperation against terrorism and organised crime,” Dare said.
He maintained that the Tinubu administration remained open to scrutiny but insisted that political criticism should be based on verifiable facts.
“Nigeria’s borders must be open to legitimate commerce and movement, but secure against terrorists and criminals,” he said.
The Presidency also questioned Atiku’s broader campaign platform, arguing that his recent policy pronouncements appeared focused on reversing or renaming initiatives already being implemented by the Tinubu administration rather than presenting a distinct alternative programme for governing the country.
