Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has warned President Bola Tinubu that his chances in the 2027 presidential election will depend largely on his ability to address the country’s insecurity and economic hardship.

In a related development, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, has expressed his support for the creation of state police in Nigeria, saying “the time to act is now” before the insecurity situation becomes unbearable.

For experts, Nigeria must urgently reform its governance structures, political culture and legal institutions to confront the deep-rooted insecurity threatening national stability.

Also, the Supreme Head of the Cherubim and Seraphim (C&S) Unification Church of Nigeria, Dr. Emmanuel Alogbo, condemned, in strong terms, the abduction and continuous detention of innocent members of the Church, during service at Ejiba, in Yagba West Local Council of Kogi State.

It called on well-meaning Nigerians to join hands to nip the menace in the bud in that region.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government, yesterday, handed over the 100 abducted students of St. Mary Catholic Primary and Secondary School Papiri in Agwara Local Council, to Governor Muhammad Bago of Niger State, at the Government House, Minna.

The National President of AYCF, Yerima Shettima, said the northern youths were deeply concerned about the rising wave of killings, kidnappings and economic distress, saying that no amount of political endorsement could guarantee electoral success to Tinubu if the situation remained unchanged.

Shettima advised the President not to be carried away by the endorsements of state governors, reminding him that former President Goodluck Jonathan received similar support ahead of the 2015 election, but still lost to Muhammadu Buhari due to widespread public dissatisfaction.

He said: “As Nigeria approaches the pivotal 2027 elections, the political future of President Tinubu hinges significantly on his administration’s ability to navigate the intricate relationship between national security and economic stability.

“The challenges posed by insecurity and economic turmoil are not merely administrative hurdles; they are critical determinants of public sentiment and voters’ behaviour.”

Meanwhile, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) National Chairman, Shehu Gabam, berated political actors discussing election victory while the country remained besieged by insecurity.

He said: “Jonathan’s defeat in 2015 should serve as a warning that governors’ endorsements are not equivalent to electoral success.

“If security is not guaranteed, even indigenous investors will not bring money to the economy, not to mention foreign investors. Without political stability, no investor will be attracted to invest.”

But the Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Rafsanjani, observed that although security and economy would shape public sentiment in 2027, electoral manipulation and state capture could still influence outcomes.

Former vice president, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Isa Tijani, urged Tinubu to prioritise nationwide safety, warning that performance alone does not determine elections in Nigeria.

SPEAKING at a security stakeholders’ summit yesterday in Lagos with the theme ‘Towards a united front against insecurity in Yoruba land’, Adams described policing the world’s most populous black nation from the centre as shameful in the 21st century.

“Obviously, the policing system we are using now is not sustainable. Whether we like it or not, to secure this country, the National Assembly, Houses of Assembly, governors and the President must support the creation of state police now,” he added.

The experts cited inadequate government investment in education, healthcare and social protection as evidence of structural neglect that fuels grievances and violent mobilisation.

According to them, the modern Nigerian state has struggled to maintain legitimate authority since Independence, with violence becoming an outlet for citizens and groups who feel excluded or unprotected.

Specifically, delivering a paper yesterday with the title ‘Nigeria’s Security Challenges and the Way Forward’ at the First Anniversary Lecture of the Apex Club House in Lagos, the Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Centre for Democracy & Development, Prof. Adele Jinadu, said insecurity in Nigeria could not be tackled by military responses alone, because its roots lie in a long-standing crisis of human security and fragile state capacity.

He argued that Nigeria’s insecurity was closely tied to historical failures in nation-building, elite fragmentation and a political economy that widened inequality between a wealthy minority and a vast poor majority.

Jinadu maintained that rebuilding Nigeria’s security architecture requires a reinvention of politics as a public trust and a recommitment to development anchored on human dignity, solidarity and justice.

Chairman of the Apex Club House, Felix Alao, said the organisation chose to mark its first anniversary by addressing an urgent national issue rather than holding a purely celebratory event.

“We see the challenges facing us in insecurity; we see how our people are being mowed down by bandits and by Boko Haram,” he said, noting that the gathering aimed to contribute to national solutions.

Prophet Alogbo, called on Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi to intensify efforts at freeing the kidnapped church members.

In a statement by the Chief Public Relations Officer of the Unification Church, Special Apostle Omololu Olubode, the Supreme Head of the Church, while acknowledging the improved efforts of the Federal Government and security agencies at frontally addressing the menace of banditry and kidnapping in the country, called on well-meaning Nigerians to join hands to nip the menace in the bud in that region.

He said: “The unfortunate incident of November 30, 2025, where innocent members of Cherubim & Seraphim Church were attacked and abducted mid-way into their worship, is not only troubling, but portends negativity for free worship of Nigerians as enshrined in the Constitution.”

He, therefore, called on Governor Ododo to do all in his power, in collaboration with security agencies, to secure the release of the abducted church members. He also called on the Federal Government to seek more global collaboration in fighting this menace.

The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, represented by Wing Commander Abdullahi Idi Hong, stated that since the abduction of the children on November 21, 2025, at the school hostel, the Federal Government had been working assiduously to ensure their rescue and safe return.

Ribadu noted that to ensure the policies to protect the rights of every Nigerian child are safe, he had reiterated the unwavering commitment of the security agencies to come up with measures to protect the country and the citizens.

Earlier, Bago, who was emotional while receiving the 100 children, appreciated President Tinubu and Ribadu for their swift actions in rescuing and recovering of the children.

Bago promised that the remaining students still in captivity would be recovered in no distant time and to be reunited with their parents, appealed for sustainable prayers to ensure their safe return. (The Guardian)

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