Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has criticised the Federal Government following the failure of Nigeria’s 112 emergency telephone line during a live television demonstration, describing the incident as a national embarrassment and raising concerns about the country’s emergency response system.
The party’s National Campaign Council said the incident exposed questions about the reliability of emergency services and the government’s preparedness to respond to accidents, violent attacks and medical emergencies.
Its spokesperson, Chiogo Ikokwu, made the position known in a statement on Wednesday following the unsuccessful attempt to connect to the emergency number during Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.
The incident occurred when an All Progressives Congress chieftain and member of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council, Alwan Hassan, challenged the programme’s presenter, Seun Okinbaloye, to dial 112 to demonstrate that the emergency line was operational.
However, the call failed to connect, prompting Hassan to suggest that network problems might have caused the failure.
Reacting, the NDC dismissed the explanation and accused the APC-led Federal Government of failing to provide reliable public services.
“The failed attempt by President Bola Tinubu’s Campaign Spokesperson, Mallam Alwan Hassan, to demonstrate the functionality of Nigeria’s 112 emergency line on national television was nothing short of a national embarrassment,” the statement read.
The party argued that Nigerians needed a dependable emergency communication system through which they could quickly access assistance during life-threatening situations.
“Giving an excuse that the line did not work because of ‘network issues’ does not cut it at all,” it added.
The NDC also cited insecurity, poorly equipped hospitals, unreliable public infrastructure, institutional challenges and the rising cost of living as broader concerns affecting Nigerians.
It further accused the government of prioritising the defence of its performance over addressing public service challenges.
“What makes this particularly troubling is the government’s apparent obsession with defending its record rather than fixing the problems. Public resources, government machinery and official platforms should be deployed to deliver results, not manufacture positive headlines,” the statement said.
The party added, “Governance is not about what government spokespersons say on television, it is about what ordinary Nigerians experience when they need their government most.”
The controversy has also raised questions about the consistency of the 112 emergency service across different locations. While calls made during the television demonstration and a subsequent attempt by a PUNCH correspondent failed to connect, an X user said a call to the number went through in Umuahia, Abia State.
During the television programme, Hassan explained that emergency communication centres were designed to receive calls and coordinate responses from relevant agencies, including the police and ambulance services.
He also disclosed that the emergency communication centre in Abuja was ready but had not been launched because President Bola Tinubu directed that the rollout should wait until centres across the country were aligned.
Hassan expressed the expectation that the process would be completed by March 2027.
When Okinbaloye questioned the delay in making the emergency number fully operational, Hassan said, “We’ll fulfil them. We’ll fulfil them with time. This is why we’re asking for more time.”
