Former presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mr. Dumebi Kachikwu, has issued a warning to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, declaring that Nigerians are “losing hope” amid persistent insecurity and lack of transparency surrounding the nation’s long-running conflict with terrorists and bandits.
In a strongly worded State of the Nation address released on Thursday, Kachikwu lamented the daily bloodshed across the country and challenged President Tinubu to provide clear and honest information about the true nature of the violence that has devastated communities for over a decade.
While acknowledging that Tinubu inherited many of these problems, Kachikwu insisted that the administration can no longer rely on that as an excuse.
“The blood of the innocent is being shed daily… Granted you inherited this, but this should no longer be an excuse,” he said.
Kachikwu questioned the government’s silence on the identities of victims, the communities affected, and the alleged takeover and renaming of villages from which residents have been displaced.
He pressed the president to clarify whether the conflict is merely a farmer-herder crisis or “a land grab disguised as conflict,” and demanded answers on whether the violence is politically or religiously motivated.
“Four presidents have come before you since this war started and none of them told us the truth about what is really going on,” he said, invoking a famous quote from John F. Kennedy on government transparency.
…Sabotage and the Enemy Within
Kachikwu also accused some individuals entrusted with national security of protecting terrorists due to ethnic or religious loyalties—a situation he described as “treason.”
He criticized calls for amnesty for terrorists, arguing that Nigerians cannot forgive people who have not been identified or held accountable.
“We are tired of innuendoes and threats of exposing those behind these terrorists… Surely you owe it to our people to expose and prosecute them,” he told the president.
The former ADC candidate expressed concern over profiteering in defence contracts, warning that such corruption saps the morale of troops battling on the frontlines.
The greatest threat to the morale of any soldier is knowing a few individuals are profiting from defence contracts while they risk their lives on the frontline,” he said.
Kachikwu urged President Tinubu to show strength, uphold the constitution, and restore national confidence.
Quoting Napoleon Bonaparte, he said the nation suffers not just because of “the violence of bad people” but the “silence of good people,” suggesting that Nigerians are waiting for a leader who will finally “tell them the truth.”
“A leader is a dealer in hope; we are losing hope,” he warned.
