Explosive Claim: Nigeria at War, President Tinubu Lacks Strategy, Says Critic
Presidential candidate Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim declared Nigeria is at war, criticizing the government's lack of strategy against terrorism and pervasive insecurity. He called for a proactive overhaul of the security architecture, emphasizing a comprehensive national security strategy over reactive responses. Olawepo-Hashim highlighted the devastating impact of ongoing attacks on national unity, economy, and global standing.
Presidential Candidate of the Accord Party, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has forcefully articulated his view that Nigeria finds itself in a state of war, yet is being governed without a coherent and effective strategy to combat terrorism and reinstate national security across its territories. In a statement issued recently, Olawepo-Hashim did not mince words in condemning the latest wave of violence and killings plaguing states such as Kaduna, Zamfara, and Plateau. He also highlighted the alarming abductions of innocent citizens, including a High Court judge, in Kebbi State, underscoring the pervasive nature of the insecurity.
Olawepo-Hashim urgently called upon the federal government to undertake a comprehensive overhaul of the nation's security architecture. He stressed the critical need for the government to reclaim the strategic initiative from terrorist groups and adopt a proactive doctrine that prioritizes preventing attacks rather than merely reacting to them. According to him, the current situation allows terrorists to consistently retain the initiative, leading to innocent Nigerians paying with their lives daily. He asserted that the time has come to cease 'managing insecurity' and instead launch a genuine offensive aimed at decisively winning the war.
The relentless and widespread attacks across the country, Olawepo-Hashim argued, unequivocally demonstrate that terrorists and armed criminal groups continue to dictate the pace of the conflict, choosing precisely when, where, and how to strike. He directly criticized the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, stating that despite Nigeria being under attack and in a state of war, the government lacks a clear strategy to end it. He emphasized that as long as terrorists determine the timing, location, and intensity of assaults, they, not the government, maintain the strategic upper hand. Citing grim statistics, he pointed out that over 30,000 innocent people have been killed within the first three years of the current administration, with more than 3.7 million individuals living in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, unable to return home. These figures, he contended, meet the textbook definition of war.
Dr. Olawepo-Hashim described the persistent bloodshed as a national emergency that is actively eroding national unity, exacerbating poverty, posing a significant threat to food security, deterring both local and foreign investment, and severely damaging Nigeria's international reputation. He reiterated that the fundamental responsibility of any government is the protection of lives and property, asserting that no nation can truly prosper while its citizens live in constant fear and entire communities remain at the mercy of terrorists and criminal gangs.
He further criticized Nigeria's security response as having become