June 22, 2026 – Abuja, Nigeria
Former Kaduna State Governor and ex-National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, has urged President Bola Tinubu to declare a national emergency on insecurity, warning that Nigeria's worsening security situation requires extraordinary measures and a unified national response.
Makarfi argued that security should become the government's major priority, saying that substantial progress in tackling insecurity would automatically improve economic activities and reduce hardship across the country.
The President, working together with state governments, should declare a national emergency on security. Governance should change so that the number one, two and three priorities are security in all facets, Makarfi said.
He warned that Nigeria's security crisis had reached a level that could no longer be treated as routine governance.
You can't be talking about rural electrification and so many other things when we have these security challenges, he said.
Makarfi expressed concern over what he described as the inability of government to significantly reduce insecurity. According to him, insecurity affects every Nigerian irrespective of political affiliation and should serve as a rallying point for all stakeholders.
He urged the President to stop politicising insecurity and take decisive action to confront the growing security challenges facing the country.
Makarfi's call for a national emergency on insecurity adds to the growing chorus of voices demanding more decisive government action. The fact that a former governor and ex-PDP chairman is making this call underscores the severity of the security crisis. A national emergency would give the government sweeping powers to deploy resources and implement extraordinary measures to tackle insecurity. However, it would also signal that the situation is truly desperate. The government's response to this call will be closely watched.
More on Security & Crime