A respected Northern elder and public affairs analyst, Alhaji Dabo Sambo, has warned that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu risks losing the 2027 presidential election if he fails to urgently address the worsening security situation in the country, especially in the North.
Speaking to journalists, Alhaji Sambo did not mince words in describing insecurity as Nigeria’s biggest threat today, stressing that the lives and livelihoods of millions of citizens are at stake.
“Food is scarce in Nigeria and people are hungry,” Sambo said, blaming the deepening food crisis on persistent attacks in the North East and North West, regions that produce the bulk of Nigeria’s agricultural output.
He lamented that banditry, kidnappings, and terrorist activities have forced many farmers off their lands, leading to falling food production and skyrocketing prices. According to him, the insecurity is crippling not just agriculture but the economy at large.
He further noted that the impact of the crisis extends to the broader economy, fuelling inflation, increasing transport costs, and pushing the naira to historic lows. Factors, he said, are “draining the savings of ordinary Nigerians.”
Sambo urged the President to take bold steps within a specific timeframe, saying “If President Tinubu refuses to wipe out the security challenges, he will definitely not win the 2027 election.”
Drawing a comparison with former President Goodluck Jonathan, who lost the 2015 election amid mounting insecurity, Sambo stressed that Nigerians have become more aware and are no longer easily swayed by token campaign offerings.
“The era of carton noodles and salt distribution during campaigns is over,” he said. “People want security and food. Without these, they will not vote.”
While dismissing opposition candidates as lacking in clear ideas to move Nigeria forward, Sambo maintained that if Tinubu fails to act on insecurity and hunger, even political machinery and electoral manipulation will not be enough to secure his return to office.
He also urged the President to look inward and confront saboteurs within his circle. “The visible competitors are not the problem. It’s the failure to act decisively on security and food production that could end his presidency,” he said.
Sambo concluded by referencing recent reports from the United States Congress and Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, alleging that the United States Agency for International Development may have funded Boko Haram. He called on the federal government to stop looking away and confront international influences “head-on.”
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