The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has blasted the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing the failure of the national 112 emergency number to connect during a live television demonstration as a national embarrassment.
The party’s National Campaign Council spokesperson, Chiogo Ikokwu, said the incident exposed weaknesses in Nigeria’s emergency response system. He raised doubts that the government could protect citizens.
An All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Alwan Hassan, appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today and challenged presenter Seun Okinbaloye to call 112 to prove that the emergency line was working.
However, the call failed to connect, with Hassan attributing the problem to possible network issues.
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Hassan had explained that emergency communication centres were designed to receive calls and connect callers with relevant responders, including the police and ambulance services.
He further disclosed that the Abuja centre was ready but had yet to be launched because President Bola Tinubu wanted other centres across the country to be aligned first. According to him, the process was expected to be completed by March 2027.
The NDC dismissed the explanation, arguing that Nigerians needed dependable emergency services to access assistance during medical emergencies, accidents and security threats.
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The party also linked the incident to broader national challenges, including insecurity, inadequate hospitals, poor infrastructure, weak institutions and the rising cost of living.
It accused the Tinubu administration of prioritising public relations over addressing these problems, insisting that government performance should be measured by the services available to ordinary citizens.
