By Olumide Olanike | Fact Frontier.
Click here to read more about the reporter.
A wave of public outrage, fueled by a devastating escalation in the nation's security crisis, has led to direct calls for the resignation of President Bola Tinubu from prominent Nigerian rapper Falz and a significant Yoruba socio-cultural organization.
The calls, which emerged in mid-November 2025, highlight a deepening frustration with the Tinubu administration's ability to protect citizens, turning the government's own past rhetoric against it and signaling discontent from within the President's own ethnic homeland.
The Trigger: A Week of National Trauma
The resignation demands were precipitated by two severe security breaches within days of each other. First, on November 17, gunmen abducted 25 female students from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, a chilling reminder of the persistent scourge of mass kidnappings. During the attack, a staff member was killed. As of November 19, only one student had managed to escape, leaving 24 young girls in captivity despite ongoing search operations by security forces and local hunters.
The second blow came with the announcement on November 18 of the killing of Brigadier General Musa Uba, a high-ranking commander of the 25 Task Force Brigade, in an ambush by the terrorist group ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province) in Borno State. The death of such a senior officer in active combat underscored the persistent and potent threat posed by insurgent groups in the Northeast. President Tinubu himself confirmed the General's death in an official statement, expressing his "overwhelming grief" and condemning the attack.
Falz Wields Tinubu's Own Words
In response to these incidents, renowned Nigerian rapper and activist Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz, issued a stark demand for the President's resignation. In a move that resonated across social media, Falz reposted a tweet originally made by Bola Tinubu in 2014.
During the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Tinubu had tweeted a direct challenge, stating that the government's failure to rescue the kidnapped Chibok girls was a "massive failure" and that
If it was in a sane country, [the] President would have resigned.
Echoing this sentiment, Falz applied the same standard to Tinubu, accusing his government of showing an “unwhelming grief” and an “unwillingness to protect the lives and property of our people.” By leveraging the President's own historical critique, Falz's call was framed not as a new standard, but as one Tinubu himself had once endorsed.
Yoruba Union Echoes the Demand
Adding significant political and ethnic dimension to the criticism, the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Ìgbìnmó Májékóbájé Ilé-Yorùbá, joined the fray. In a strongly-worded statement released around November 18, the group also called for President Tinubu, who is of Yoruba ethnicity, to resign.
The group cited a complete loss of confidence in the government's security architecture, alleging a slow and ineffective response that bordered on complicity. In a statement that captured public anger over the perceived differential treatment of citizens, the group argued,
If Tinubu’s daughter was among those 25 girls, she would have been found within 12 hours,suggesting that the plight of ordinary Nigerians, particularly from poorer regions, was being neglected.
This call from a Yoruba group was particularly striking, as it signaled that discontent with the administration's performance was cutting across traditional ethnic and political lines, reaching into the President's own support base.
The resignation demands from Falz and the Yoruba Union have become a focal point for broader public discontent. They reflect a sentiment expressed by other public figures, such as comedian and activist Debo Adebayo (Mr. Macaroni), who recently vowed to continue his criticism of the government despite claiming to face targeted harassment from pro-government supporters.
As the Tinubu administration grapples with these security challenges, it has also appealed for media cooperation. The President has recently asked for criticism that is “fair” and “truthful” and that does not compromise national unity. However, for a growing number of citizens and groups, the time for appeals has passed, and the ultimate act of accountability, as once suggested by Tinubu himself, would be for the President to step down.
