*Says “What Stops This Government From Copying What Jonathan Has Done?”
Buba Galadima, farmer, veteran politician, and member of the Board of Trustees of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), has lambasted the federal government for prioritizing politics over security amid a surge in student abductions and banditry in northern Nigeria.
He delivered a scathing assessment during an appearance on Arise TV’s Prime Time on Monday, urging a technological overhaul of security measures and decrying the administration’s fixation on electoral maneuvering.
Schools in Niger State and other northern regions remain shuttered, leaving a “sense of unease” that underscores the existential threat of insecurity to Nigeria’s youth and economy. In response to the Federal Government’s recent order closing 41 unity colleges nationwide, aimed at averting potential breaches, a statement from Hajiya Binta Abdulkadir, Director of Senior Secondary Education, directed principals to comply immediately on behalf of the Education Minister. Galadima, however, called the move “shameful,” insisting protection, not shutdowns, is the path forward.
Galadima minced no words on the closures, framing them as a failure of governance that burdens state authorities struggling to balance safety and education. “In the first place, it is shameful to close down the schools. It’s shameful on the government, and every people in the administration and us. You cannot close down schools. What you will do is how to protect the schools,” he declared.
He extended the critique to the broader security apparatus, dismissing outdated tactics in favor of innovation. “The government should forget about physical security; we have passed that stage. We have to use technology,” Galadima asserted, advocating for predictive tools and proactive forces. “We need to deploy technology to detect things even before they happen. We also need to set up special squads to deal with issues even before they spring up.”
At the heart of Galadima’s indictment was the Tinubu administration’s alleged obsession with politics at the expense of pressing crises. “The government has given 99% of its time to politicking,” he charged, echoing the interview’s titular theme and lamenting a diversion from core duties like combating insurgency and banditry.
Drawing lessons from history, Galadima urged emulating former President Goodluck Jonathan’s strategies. Referencing Jonathan’s tenure, he noted: “If Jonathan has done that that time, two thousand and fifteen, what stops this government from copying what Jonathan has done? After all, hiring machineries to deal with this insurgency and other pockets of banditry across the country.” He emphasized learning “even from your enemy,” adding, “In fact, you learn more from your enemy.”
Galadima didn’t spare recent failures, citing a social media report of an ISWAP ambush on General Musa and brigadiers in Sambisa Forest, alongside operations in banks, Marte, and other hotspots. “I just saw in the social media a journalist like you who talked about the ambush of ISWAP on General Musa by brigadiers… nyingi kwa Sambisa… katika banki kwenye marumboda ya kemaru… Na kwa Marte,” he recounted, highlighting persistent threats in volatile areas.
Galadima linked security lapses to Nigeria’s economic woes, arguing that restored safety would unlock growth. “I think many people would agree with you because that would have a positive knock-on effect on the economy of this country. Because people would be able to return to agriculture, get their jobs, have a sense of security. Then the tax reform in January can now get more net to capture a lot of people,” he explained.
Turning to international dynamics, Galadima expressed openness to unconventional alliances, including U.S. President Donald Trump. “So not for religious purposes but to come and secure Nigeria, I would vote for Trump one hundred million times,” he said, even if framed as addressing “alleged Christian genocide.” Clarifying, “Well, but if he’s going to kill… If he’s targeting the same people who are killing Christians and Muslims, I mean it’s the same thing as almost bringing mercenaries except you don’t have to pay for them.”
He critiqued foreign exploitation, alleging powers like France, the U.S., and China are “milking Nigeria dry.” On a figure pressuring the government, Galadima remarked: “That he wants to put pressure on the Nigerian government so that he could extract as much as possible… he’s not talking for you or for me… France and China are milking Nigeria dry.” Yet, he saw room for diplomacy: “So the man is a businessman; he can change if they see him well, if they talk to him well, he can press the level tomorrow.”
A tangent on separatist sentiments surfaced, with Galadima dismissing calls for recolonization: “Which is that he would wish the British will come and colonize Nigeria.” Dismissing ethnic divides, he stressed unity against common threats.
In closing, with the host prompting a summary, Galadima issued a direct plea to President Bola Tinubu: “But of course he has to sit up and look for people of knowledge and people who could look at him straight into the eye and tell him how things should be done, not yes men who are after buttering their own bread.”
