Special to USAfricaonline.com
A group of 10 influential persons and stakeholders from the geopolitical areas historically grouped as northern Nigeria has raised concerns about President Bola Tinubu’s handling of some of the major issues facing the country.
The group cautioned that “The spread of terrorism, arms trafficking, unconstitutional changes of government, and porous borders across countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger continue to intensify insecurity in Nigeria and the wider Lake Chad Basin. The collapse of regional cooperation and democratic governance in parts of the Sahel further emboldens armed groups, weakens state authority, and undermines civilian protection across West Africa.”
The group called on President Tinubu to implement urgent measures to halt the growing problems. “The government should immediately appoint a high-level special envoy for the Sahel to begin the urgent task of rebuilding trust between Nigeria, the AES and ECOWAS while revamping regional mechanisms for peace and security,” the coalition recommended. The coalition made the call in a joint statement issued on June 8, 2026.
It also accused Tinubu of undermining key institutions and depriving them of legislative and judicial independence under his administration.
The coalition stated, “Our assessment of the state of the nation reveals that Nigeria stands at a dangerous crossroads where rising insecurity, an alarming level of electoral manipulation by government, and the weakening of democratic institutions are converging into a national crisis that threatens the country’s survival.
“Nigeria faces a grave threat to its foundational constitutional principle of the separation of powers. Checks and balances between the branches of government have been imperilled. The legislative branch has been placed under near-total control of the executive branch. The judiciary appears to have lost both its independence and its integrity.
“There are no checks on the powers of the executive, who now govern as they please without accountability or respect for the people’s concerns. Institutions have been compromised, weakened, and subordinated to the interests of the executive arm of government.”
Members of the coalition include a former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, former presidential Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari; an ex-House of Representatives member, Usman Bugaje; and a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Abubakar Balarabe Mahmoud, Ambassador Fatima Balla, Husseini Abdu, Yahaya Hashim, Mohammed Kuna, Jibrin Ibrahim and Kabiru Yusuf.
