Dumebi Kachikwu to Tinubu: Nigerians are losing hope — name those behind insecurity

Dumebi Kachikwu, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2023 elections, says Nigeria is at a breaking point and losing hope with the rising insecurity.

Speaking in a statement on Thursday while addressing the state of the nation, Kachikwu said President Bola Tinubu must update Nigerians on the numbers of citizens who have been killed as a result of the security challenges.

He acknowledged that the crisis predates the current administration but insisted that inheritance should not become a shield.

“The blood of the innocent is being shed daily in Nigeria while kidnapping and banditry are commonplace,” he said.

“At this defining moment when our dear nation is being ridiculed on the world stage, you should be the president who tells Nigerians the truth about this never-ending war that has cost us billions of dollars in taxpayers’ money.

“Are you the president who will give the Nigerian people the real facts and figures on those who have been killed in this war, their tribes and religions and the names of their communities?

“For those who have been displaced, what has happened to their communities, as rumour has it that their communities are being renamed and occupied by the same people who slaughtered and displaced them?”

Kachikwu said Nigerians are yet to know whether the conflict is about grazing disputes or a wider agenda, adding that successive administrations had failed to provide answers.

“Four presidents have come before you since this war started, and none of them told us the truth about what is really going on,” he added.

‘TELL US WHO THE ENEMY IS’

Kachikwu urged the president to identify those behind the violence and stop issuing threats without consequence.

He criticised proposals for amnesty for armed groups, saying forgiveness could not be granted while the perpetrators remained unnamed.

The ADC chieftain said public officers swear loyalty to the nation, not tribe or religion, and warned that protecting criminals for ties constitutes treason.

“The Nigerian people need to stand as one in this fight, but how can they when the government won’t define this enemy or act decisively in the face of the obvious?” he said.

“Nigerian soldiers who once brought peace to other warring nations are now being called cowards; how did we get here?

“This is Nigeria we are talking about. Who has brought the giant of Africa to her knees?

“Mr President, we are ready as a people to face and fight any enemy, but we need you to tell us who the enemy is. We can no longer play politics with the lives of Nigerians.

“We must also remove the business from this war and face the business of war. The greatest threat to the morale of any soldier is knowing a few individuals are profiting from defence contracts while they risk their lives on the frontline.

“No individual or group of people is bigger than our nation or our laws. The good people of Nigeria are probably silent because they are waiting for a president who will tell them the truth.

“A leader is a dealer in hope; we are losing hope.”