Nigeria's Interior Minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has publicly refuted former Vice President Atiku Abubakar's promise to reopen the country's land borders if he is elected in the upcoming 2027 presidential elections. Tunji-Ojo's statement, issued on August 29, 2026, argues that the premise of Atiku's pledge is fundamentally flawed, asserting that Nigeria's borders are not closed.

In his remarks, Tunji-Ojo emphasized that the Nigeria Immigration Service, which operates under his ministry, actively manages multiple border crossings across the nation. He highlighted a series of reopenings that began in December 2020 and continued with recent developments in February 2026. Notably, he pointed out that borders such as Seme, Illela, Maigatari, and Mfum were reopened in December 2020, while Idiroko and Ikom followed suit in April 2022. The latest reopenings in February 2026 included Kamba and Tsamiya, linking Nigeria with Niger Republic and Benin Republic, respectively.

Atiku's comments included references to the borders with Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Benin Republic, which he claimed needed restoration. However, Tunji-Ojo challenged this narrative, particularly regarding the Cameroon border closures. He clarified that the closures at Banki and Amchidé were not a result of the 2019 trade policy but were initiated in 2014 due to security concerns arising from Boko Haram's activities in the Lake Chad Basin. According to the minister, these borders were reopened in 2019, with further openings occurring in 2021 following joint military operations involving Nigeria and its neighbors.

Tunji-Ojo criticized Atiku for conflating distinct issues of trade regulation and security, stating, "Folding this separate, security-driven history into one continuous 2019 shutdown misrepresents two distinct issues, trade regulation and counter-insurgency, as a single failure."

He further elaborated on the current state of border management, indicating that some crossings in the north remain under strict control due to ongoing security threats from banditry and insurgency. He expressed concerns that premature reopening of these borders could jeopardize the safety of traders and border communities.

The minister called for a more nuanced approach to border management, emphasizing that it requires a balance of security, documentation, customs compliance, and controlled trade facilitation. He urged Atiku to present a concrete proposal if he has a new strategy for managing the borders, rather than oversimplifying the complexities of trade, security, and infrastructure challenges.

Tunji-Ojo concluded by warning against using political competition as a means to distort recent historical events, stating, "Political competition should not become a competition to rewrite recent history." This exchange highlights the ongoing political discourse as Nigeria approaches the 2027 elections, with border management emerging as a significant topic of debate.