Nwuche asks traditional rulers to condemn insecurity fairly, backs Tinubu's state police push
- Chibudom Nwuche, former deputy speaker, urged traditional rulers to speak on insecurity without bias.
- He praised the Emir of Katsina's remarks but asked him to apply the same standard to all leaders.
- Nwuche backed President Tinubu's state police plan and his 2027 re-election bid.
A former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Prince Chibudom Nwuche, has called on traditional rulers and ethnic leaders to speak about insecurity in a fair and consistent way, whoever is in power.
Nwuche, who chairs the governing board of the South-South Development Commission (SSDC), made the call in a statement, according to Vanguard and The Nation.
He was reacting to recent remarks by the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir Usman. Last Thursday, the Emir received a delegation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, led by its Director-General, Senator Abdul'aziz Abubakar Yari.
The Emir was reported to have said insecurity was making it hard for farmers to reach their farmlands, and that economic and industrial activity in parts of the North was getting worse. He also reportedly warned the campaign team not to mislead Nigerians ahead of the 2027 elections.
Why it matters to ordinary Nigerians
Insecurity affects what Nigerians can do and what they pay. When farmers cannot reach their farms, food supply falls and prices rise. When businesses and factories cannot run, jobs are lost.
Nwuche praised the Emir for speaking plainly to the campaign team. But he asked the monarch to give the same advice to political leaders across party, ethnic and regional lines.
He questioned why similar public concern was not heard during the eight years of former President Muhammadu Buhari, when insecurity was also a major national problem.
Nwuche said banditry, farmer-herder clashes, mass kidnappings, community raids and insurgency all started before President Bola Tinubu took office. He recalled an attack in which an Abuja-Kaduna-bound train was forcibly derailed and passengers were abducted, and said communities were once forced to pay levies to bandits.
"Although these challenges somewhat persist, the Tinubu administration, through the military and other security agencies, has made significant efforts to stem the tide of insecurity," he said.
He also warned that criticising national problems only during election season could mislead people and raise political tension.
State police and 2027
Nwuche commended Tinubu for pushing a constitutional amendment that would let states set up their own police forces. The two reports differ on how many states have endorsed the plan: Vanguard said more than 24 of the 36 states, while The Nation said 24. Neither outlet named the states.
He argued that state police would work alongside the Nigeria Police Force, improve local intelligence and help each state respond to its own security problems. He said past governments lacked the political will to push the reform through.
Nwuche also urged Nigerians to vote for Tinubu in the presidential election scheduled for 16 January 2027, saying the country needs continuity and steady implementation of reforms.
What happens next: The state police proposal depends on the constitutional amendment process. The 2027 campaign is already under way, and the Emir of Katsina's remarks are likely to keep drawing reactions.
