On the heels of Nigeria’s 65th Independence celebration, the Arewa Defence League (ADL) has released the Kaduna October Declaration on the Rights of the People of Northern Nigeria, warning that the region is caught in a dangerous “polycrisis” — an intersection of security, economic, and social challenges threatening its stability.

“The era of empty words is over. The time to act is now,” said Murtala Abubakar, President of ADL, who signed the declaration on behalf of the movement.

Abubakar added that the document was both a binding commitment to the people of the North and a constructive contribution to Nigeria’s broader national conversation.

The declaration, unveiled at a strategy seminar in Arewa House, Kaduna, was described as a unified, evidence-driven assessment of the North’s realities and its place in the Nigerian federation. It followed extensive consultations with state coordinators, experts, and stakeholders across all 19 Northern states.

ADL stressed that the North’s polycrisis is not a set of isolated issues but interconnected emergencies feeding into each other. It identified rising insecurity, entrenched poverty, broken infrastructure, and elite impunity as key drivers of hardship and disillusionment.

In its State of the States analysis, the group highlighted insecurity as the most urgent threat, citing insurgency, banditry, kidnappings, and communal clashes as factors eroding state authority and exposing communities. “This collapse of safety is a profound failure of the state’s most essential responsibility,” it noted.

The group also decried economic mismanagement, pointing out that despite the region’s abundant human and natural resources, corruption and poor policies had crippled agriculture, stifled businesses, and left millions of youths unemployed.

On the social front, ADL lamented that the North continues to rank as home to the world’s highest number of out-of-school children, coupled with worsening healthcare shortages and collapsing public services. “An entire generation risks being left behind,” the group warned.

The declaration also faulted a culture of elite impunity and political marginalisation, accusing leaders of enacting policies that serve the few at the expense of the majority. It added that basic human rights, including food, security, and dignity, had been eroded across the region.

While insisting it does not advocate separation from Nigeria, the group said the failures of the Nigerian state in the North had weakened trust in the social contract. It called for a transformative renewal of governance through decentralisation of powers, restructuring of priorities, and restoration of the people’s sovereignty.

Grounded in the principles of liberty, equality, and popular sovereignty, the Kaduna October Declaration affirmed that “ultimate authority resides with the people of Northern Nigeria, who remain an inseparable part of the Nigerian nation. No authority is valid unless it derives directly from the people’s consent.”

ADL listed the next steps to actualise the declaration, including the formation of a planning committee to convene a Northern Stakeholders’ Conference, drafting of detailed policy documents, and creation of a comprehensive voter education and mobilisation plan ahead of the 2027 elections. (Daily Sun)