A coalition of political figures operating under the aegis of the Association of Former Presidential Candidates of Nigeria (AFPCN) has issued a joint communique urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to aggressively tackle the dual crises of worsening national insecurity and severe economic hardship gripping the country.
The forum, comprised of various flagbearers who contested the country’s previous executive elections, held an emergency plenary session in Abuja to evaluate the current state of the nation. While acknowledging the complex global economic pressures facing the administration, the politicians stressed that the domestic realities—characterized by soaring inflation, currency instability, and a rising cost of living—have pushed millions of ordinary Nigerians into extreme vulnerability. They noted that the short-term shockwaves of ongoing fiscal reforms have yet to translate into tangible, widespread relief for the public.
Beyond the economy, the AFPCN raised deep concerns over the persistent security vulnerabilities across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones, specifically referencing recent surges in rural banditry, highway kidnappings, and attacks on educational institutions. The forum emphasized that economic recovery cannot realistically be achieved without a baseline of physical safety, as insecurity continues to push farmers off agricultural lands, driving up food prices and paralyzing local commerce.
In a statement read by the forum’s leadership, the ex-presidential candidates urged the presidency to look past partisan divides and urgently implement a comprehensive, people-centric intervention strategy:
“Governance must fundamentally prioritize the collective well-being and security of the citizens above all else. We are at a critical junction where transactional politics must yield completely to deliberate, good governance. We urge the administration to re-evaluate its socio-economic policies to cushion the blow on vulnerable households and drastically overhaul our security infrastructure to reclaim our vast, ungoverned forest spaces from hostile non-state actors.”
Reaffirming their commitment to national unity, the forum stated that they are prepared to offer constructive, non-partisan recommendations and alternative policy blueprints to the federal government. They concluded by warning that delaying aggressive interventions in the security and agricultural sectors could severely worsen the nation’s fragile stability as political timelines begin to advance toward the next general electoral cycle.
