Bulama Bukarti: Changing service chiefs without reforms won’t solve insecurity challenge

Bulama Bukarti, a security analyst, says Nigeria’s security problems cannot be solved by simply rotating service chiefs. 

Bukarti spoke on Channels Television’s ‘Sunday Politics’ while reacting to President Bola Tinubu’s recent reshuffle of the military high command.

Last week, Tinubu relieved Christopher Musa of his position as the chief of defence staff (CDS) and appointed Olufemi Oluyede, the immediate past chief of army staff, as his replacement.

The president also named Waidi Shaibu as the new chief of army staff and approved fresh appointments for the heads of the navy and the air force.

However, the security analyst acknowledged the competence of the new service chiefs but stressed that the solution lies in reforming the system, not merely changing personnel.

“All of the new service chiefs are eminently qualified when you look at their background in the military and their paper qualifications,” he said.

“We have been here many times and seen service chiefs change. The problem is that wherever you have leadership renewal without reforms, it just becomes rotation, and rotation alone is not going to solve our national security problem.

“It’s not about their qualifications on paper; it is about their initiative. Do they have enough initiative to reform the Nigerian security architecture?”

Bukarti urged the newly appointed military chiefs to overhaul Nigeria’s war strategy, particularly in tackling insurgency.

“Over the past three years, we have not seen any dramatic change in Nigeria’s fighting philosophy,” he added.

“It is not the rotation that is important; it is whether they have the guts to reform the Nigerian military and security architecture.

“Until and unless we do that, we may continue to rotate leadership, but nothing good will come out of that.”

On coup rumours, Bukarti said military takeovers have historically failed, and urged political leaders to address the frustrations fuelling public anger.

Meanwhile, Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesperson of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), criticised the president’s decision, describing it as “sudden” amid rumours of a foiled coup.

Abdullahi said the government owes Nigerians a “clear explanation for the timing of the reshuffle”.