Former ADC Presidential Candidate Seeks Comprehensive Overhaul of Security Architecture

The former presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dumebi Kachikwu, has urged the newly appointed Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, to move beyond routine reforms in the nation’s security system and provide Nigerians with a truthful and transparent account of the country’s long-standing security crisis.

Kachikwu made the call during a world press conference on the state of the nation in Abuja.

He cautioned that merely changing ministers is “not enough” to address the alarming scale of killings, kidnappings, and displacement ravaging the nation.

According to him, Nigerians are eagerly waiting for the government to speak honestly about the true nature of the conflict that has persisted for nearly twenty years.

Kachikwu stressed that the Federal Government—and particularly the new Defence Minister—must clearly identify the real forces driving the violence.

“Every day we hear different stories—farmer–herder clashes, mining disputes, banditry, land grabs. What is the truth? What kind of war are we fighting? Nigerians deserve clarity,” he stated.

He also raised concerns about the fate of displaced communities, reports of villages being renamed after attacks, and recent allegations of genocide echoed on international platforms.

The ADC stalwart lamented that no President or administration, past or present, has ever fully disclosed the true facts and figures surrounding the deaths, displacement, and destruction recorded over the years.

Kachikwu urged General Musa to confront the crisis with transparency and firmness, noting that soldiers cannot fight effectively when the identity and motives of the adversaries remain uncertain.

He further criticised policies that prioritise the rehabilitation of terrorists while ignoring victims, insisting that rebuilding devastated communities and restoring citizens’ confidence must be central to the government’s agenda.

Kachikwu concluded by saying Nigerians are ready to support the government in the fight against insecurity—provided that leaders are truthful with the nation.