Groups Reject Senator’s Call for Removal of NSA Nuhu Ribadu

Groups Reject Senator’s Call for Removal of NSA Nuhu Ribadu

Two notable groups — the Oodua Peoples Network (OPN) and the Niger Delta Stakeholders’ Forum (NDSF) — have strongly rejected a call by Senator Francis Fadahunsi urging President Bola Tinubu to replace the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, because he is not a military officer.

Senator Fadahunsi, who represents Osun East, had argued that the President should appoint a retired military officer as NSA, claiming such restructuring would enhance national security management.

But in a joint statement signed by OPN leaders Olasupo Bamidele, Emmanuel Adesokan, and Kehinde Olasope, the group criticised the senator for taking his concerns to the media rather than using proper communication channels with the presidency.

According to OPN, the senator’s position reflects a misunderstanding of modern security structures, noting that the NSA position is not exclusive to military officers.

The group cited historical precedents, recalling that the Office of the NSA was successfully led by non-military figures such as Muhammadu Gambo Jimeta and Ismaila Gwarzo, both considered among the best to have held the position.

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OPN noted that although soldiers held the position between 1999 and 2023, national security challenges persisted, proving that military experience alone does not guarantee effective national security leadership.

It added that the most successful NSAs in the U.S., UK and other advanced democracies are typically civilian security experts, not retired soldiers.

The organisation also highlighted Ribadu’s diplomatic achievements, especially his recent leadership of a Nigerian delegation to address the U.S. “Country of Particular Concern” designation, saying his international network and intelligence background made him ideal for the job.

Similarly, the NDSF, in a statement signed by Andrew Mene, Rowland Tamunopiri and Umukoro Erhimeyoma, dismissed the senator’s call as “a narrow and outdated view” of national security leadership.

According to the group, modern threats — including terrorism, cybersecurity, and intelligence coordination — require expertise beyond military experience. They argued that Ribadu’s background as former EFCC Chairman and his involvement in governance and security reforms demonstrate competence, integrity, and deep strategic capacity.

The NDSF stressed that national security leadership today relies on intelligence, inter-agency synergy, and strategic coordination—not military rank.

The group urged leaders to stop politicising security appointments and instead support ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening intelligence gathering and restoring peace nationwide.

Both OPN and NDSF maintained that President Tinubu made a strategic and globally aligned decision in appointing Ribadu as NSA, insisting that what Nigeria needs is “competence, strategy, and results.”

Groups Reject Senator’s Call for Removal of NSA Nuhu Ribadu