Insecurity: Northern Leaders Seek Overhaul of Security Chiefs, Cabinet Reshuffle
The Northern Ethnic Nationality Forum (NENF), a coalition of political and socio-cultural leaders from the 19 northern states, has urged President Bola Tinubu to immediately sack the nation’s Service Chiefs and reshuffle his cabinet in response to Nigeria’s deepening security and governance challenges.
In a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja and signed by its Convener, Dominic Alancha, the Forum said it had carefully reviewed the worsening plight of Nigerians, especially in the North, and concluded that urgent corrective measures were unavoidable.
The group accused several cabinet members of “glaring underperformance,” insisting that Tinubu’s current team lacks the competence and political influence required to deliver on the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda. It therefore called for the dissolution of the Federal Executive Council and the appointment of ministers with proven capacity, integrity, and political weight.
“A ministerial slot should not be treated as a reward for loyalty but as a serious national assignment,” the Forum said, stressing that a stronger cabinet was critical not only for development but also for Tinubu’s political survival ahead of 2027.
On security, NENF described the situation in the North as a “full-blown catastrophe,” citing how banditry, terrorism, and kidnapping have crippled farming, trade, and transport across the region. It declared that the Service Chiefs had failed despite huge resources at their disposal, demanding their immediate replacement with fresh military leaders under a clear results-driven mandate.
The group also called for a state of emergency on security in the North, emphasizing that this should not mean blanket militarization but rather a coordinated multi-agency operation to dismantle terrorist networks and restore peace.
While commending Tinubu’s economic reforms such as subsidy removal and forex unification, the Forum urged more concrete steps to cushion the impact on citizens, including faster rollout of palliatives, massive investment in agriculture and industry, and visible improvements in power, transport, and infrastructure.
It further advised the President to show empathy by sharing in the people’s sacrifices, warning of a growing disconnect between the government and citizens.
“We supported President Tinubu’s emergence and we are ready to back him again in 2027, but that support depends on his ability to govern with empathy, decisiveness and results. The time for action is now,” the Forum declared.
