Follow Us on Google
By Lawrence Agbo
A former Deputy Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Dennis Amachree, has advised President Bola Tinubu to place the country’s worsening security challenges above political calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Amachree argued that the Federal Government must focus fully on restoring security across the country before turning attention to campaign activities and electoral ambitions.
According to him, while the President faces complex political pressures, addressing insecurity should remain his foremost responsibility as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
Amachree said the persistence of attacks, kidnappings and killings across various parts of the country requires decisive leadership from the presidency.
“Sometimes I feel sorry for the President because he is dealing with many variables. As he takes one step, he is also careful about his political party and supporters and trying not to step on certain toes,” he said.
He, however, maintained that political considerations should not distract the government from confronting the security crisis.
“If he wants to return as President, just as Jonathan did, he should stop the political campaigns and face the security problem frontally. Solve it first. If we need help from outside, get it. Then we can return to campaigning. If we are campaigning while people are being attacked, I don’t think citizens will even come out to vote,” he added.
Other News
The former intelligence officer stressed that meaningful reform of Nigeria’s security architecture must begin with the President, noting that the National Assembly would likely support any genuine effort to tackle insecurity.
“We can begin with the Commander-in-Chief. He is the one handling the problem and will be supported by the legislature with the necessary laws to do what needs to be done. If they see that he is serious, I believe the National Assembly will support him wholeheartedly. The buck stops on his table, and that is where we should start,” Amachree stated.
He also expressed frustration over what he described as the slow pace of legislative and policy reforms aimed at strengthening internal security.
Citing the ongoing debate over state police, Amachree questioned why measures widely regarded as necessary had taken so long to advance.
“To boost our security architecture, it is taking forever. I have seen situations in Nigeria where bills are passed within a week. Something that should have been passed a long time ago was only approved a few days ago for state police, and now it still has to go through the states for consensus,” he said.
“Why did we waste so much time? There should have been greater urgency because of the security situation confronting the country.”
His remarks come amid renewed concerns over rising insecurity, including the recent abduction of schoolchildren, teachers and other residents in Oyo State. The incident sparked protests and prompted the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) to declare an indefinite strike in affected public schools.
