Elder Statesmen Raise Alarm Over Insecurity, Poverty, Demand Urgent Constitutional Reforms

Our Reporter 

A group of elder statesmen and prominent Nigerians under the platform of The Patriots has expressed deep concern over Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, widespread poverty and governance challenges, warning that urgent structural reforms are necessary to prevent further national decline.

The concerns were contained in a communiqué issued after a strategic meeting of the group held at its secretariat in Lagos, where members reviewed the state of the nation and assessed the political atmosphere ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The communiqué was jointly signed by the Chairman of the group, Emeka Anyaoku, and Secretary-General, Olawale Okunniyi.

The Patriots expressed grave concern over the persistent wave of killings, kidnappings and attacks on communities by bandits and other armed groups operating across the country.

According to the group, violent attacks have continued in the North-East, North-West and North-Central regions, while insecurity is gradually extending into parts of the South-West, heightening concerns over national stability and public safety.

The elder statesmen noted that the security crisis had displaced thousands of citizens from their homes and farming communities, worsening humanitarian conditions and posing a serious threat to food production nationwide.

They lamented that many farmers had abandoned agricultural activities out of fear of attacks, a situation they said had contributed significantly to rising food prices and worsening hunger across the country.

The group consequently urged the federal government to treat insecurity as a national emergency with direct implications for governance, economic growth and public safety.

As part of its recommendations, The Patriots proposed the establishment of a special advisory committee to complement government efforts in addressing the nation’s growing security challenges.

While acknowledging some of the economic reforms introduced by the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the group maintained that poverty remained severe and widespread, particularly among rural populations.

Citing data from the National Bureau of Statistics, the communiqué stated that approximately 63 per cent of Nigerians currently live in multidimensional poverty.

The Patriots also renewed its longstanding demand for a new democratic constitution, insisting that the current 1999 Constitution remained a product of military imposition and no longer reflected the collective aspirations of Nigerians.

The group recalled that the demand for constitutional restructuring was strongly reaffirmed during its National Summit held in Abuja in July 2024, which attracted youth organisations, women groups and socio-cultural bodies from across the country’s six geopolitical zones.

According to the communiqué, many of Nigeria’s recurring political and governance challenges could only be resolved through a constitution democratically produced by the Nigerian people.

The elder statesmen further criticised what they described as the absence of clear ideological foundations among political parties, arguing that the development had encouraged frequent defections by elected office holders.

They said the trend had reinforced public perception that political parties merely function as vehicles for acquiring power rather than institutions guided by programmes, principles and national development goals.

Ahead of the 2027 general elections, The Patriots urged political parties and aspirants to embrace issue-based campaigns and avoid inflammatory rhetoric, divisive conduct and personal attacks capable of threatening national unity.

The group also expressed concern over what it described as the gradual weakening of public institutions and declining leadership values, urging Nigerians to support candidates committed to restructuring the country’s governance system.

It further warned that the conduct of the 2027 elections at the federal, state and local government levels would attract close scrutiny from the international community.

On electoral participation, The Patriots criticised the rising cost of politics in the country, arguing that exorbitant nomination and expression of interest fees had effectively shut out ordinary citizens from participating in the democratic process.

The group noted that many qualified Nigerians, including professionals, academics and teachers with the capacity to contribute meaningfully to governance, lacked the financial resources to contest elections under the current political arrangement.

Reaffirming its position, The Patriots maintained that the federal government had yet to take sufficiently decisive action to tackle insecurity nationwide, insisting that coordinated and urgent intervention was needed to restore public confidence.

The group also renewed its support for independent candidacy and broader electoral reforms, stressing that a more inclusive, participatory and credible democratic process remained essential for Nigeria’s future stability and development.