The Presidency has dismissed African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar’s pledge to open Nigeria’s land borders if elected, insisting that most of the country’s land borders are already open.
Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, made this known in a statement issued on Friday titled, “Atiku and the Borders: Nigerians Deserve Facts, Not Campaign Slogans.”
Dare said the Federal Government reopened most of Nigeria’s land borders on March 14, 2024, and has not reversed the decision.
He therefore questioned which borders Atiku intended to reopen, given that the existing policy already allows legitimate movement and trade.
Dare also pointed out that President Tinubu personally reopened the Kamba border in Kebbi State on February 14, 2026, describing the move as beneficial to Nigeria’s economic and diplomatic interests.
The presidential aide, however, said if Atiku was referring to relaxing existing border controls, he should clearly explain which restrictions he would remove, why they should be removed and what security measures would replace them.
He stressed that opening borders should not be confused with abandoning border controls, particularly amid threats such as terrorism, arms trafficking, smuggling, human trafficking and other forms of transnational organised crime.
“An open border is not an uncontrolled border,” Dare said, explaining that modern border management is designed to facilitate legitimate travel and commerce while preventing criminal groups from exploiting international routes.
According to him, effective border management requires immigration and customs controls, intelligence-sharing, surveillance technology and coordinated security operations.
Dare also linked the issue to Nigeria’s security challenges within the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, noting that the country shares international borders with Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
He cited the Global Terrorism Index 2026, which he said showed that a significant proportion of terrorist attacks occur close to international borders, making border security an important part of national security.
The presidential aide maintained that the deployment of security personnel along Nigeria’s North-East and North-West corridors should not be interpreted as evidence that the country’s borders are closed.
Rather, he said, the security presence reflects efforts to prevent terrorists and criminal networks from exploiting border areas.
Dare argued that criminal groups often take advantage of international boundaries because security forces cannot freely cross into neighbouring countries without appropriate legal agreements and cooperation.
He challenged Atiku, as a former Vice President, to provide Nigerians with a detailed policy proposal instead of simply promising to “open borders.”
According to him, a credible alternative should explain how an incoming administration would strengthen border surveillance, improve intelligence-sharing with neighbouring countries, modernise customs and immigration operations, deploy technology, protect border communities and deepen regional security cooperation.
Dare said the Tinubu administration remained open to scrutiny but insisted that political debates should be based on verifiable facts.
He added that Nigeria’s borders should remain open to legitimate commerce and movement while being secured against terrorists and other criminals.
The Presidency also questioned Atiku’s wider campaign agenda, arguing that his recent policy statements appeared focused on reversing or renaming initiatives already being implemented by the Tinubu administration rather than presenting a distinct alternative programme for the country.
