Should President Tinubu Copy Obasanjo's Tough Approach on Insecurity?

In 2007, when he was president, former leader Obasanjo said that a focused leader will face pressure, intimidation, and blackmail, but he is too big to be controlled.

You might wonder why I started this piece with his words. I saw comments on a video where Obasanjo urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take a firmer stand against bandits and terrorists. Many Nigerians in the comments asked Tinubu to adopt Obasanjo's approach to handle insecurity. While I understand that every Nigerian wants insecurity to end, I find it amusing that even those who just joined the call are asking the president to imitate Obasanjo. These same people will be the first to complain if Tinubu takes strict action.

For the younger generation, especially Gen Z, who were not around or were too young to follow Nigeria's politics during Obasanjo’s time (1999-2007), it’s important to know that he used executive power heavily. Some felt that no governor could travel abroad without Obasanjo's permission. A key moment showing his strictness was the ‘Odi Massacre’ on 20 November 1999. That day, following the killing of police and soldiers by a gang, Obasanjo ordered the Nigerian military to wipe out everything in Odi, a community in Bayelsa State. When asked on TV why he gave that order, Obasanjo said the police and soldiers were his tools for keeping law and order. He sent them there, and they were killed. What did he expect to do? Just sit and watch? That tough decision made villagers who weren't there flee for years and scared many others from attacking security forces during his time.

Obasanjo also made another bold move regarding the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), a group of Yoruba people pushing for self-determination. He ordered that any criminal should be shot on sight, and during a live media chat, he confirmed that security forces followed his orders. He also said anyone claiming to be an OPC member should be arrested, and if they resisted, they should be shot. He insisted that hoodlums and criminals should not take over the country.

Obasanjo’s administration was also known for powerful institutions. The EFCC was so strong that even the Inspector General of Police was publicly arrested, and a sitting Senate President was forced out of office. The courts also achieved significant convictions, including that of the then Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun. During his time, he had five different Senate Presidents (Evans Enwerem, Chuba Okadigbo, Anyim Pius Anyim, Adolphus Wabara, and Ken Nnamani) in just six years (1999-2005). Four different people held the position in his first term (1999-2003), with only Ken Nnamani managing to serve from 2005 to 2007 without issue. His Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, also faced his own troubles, becoming the first vice president in the Fourth Republic to face investigations from the president, his boss. He was humiliated and has not fully recovered politically since then.

Now that we have recalled some key events from Obasanjo’s time, I urge everyone, especially Gen Zs calling on President Tinubu to follow this path, to reflect on these examples carefully. I am pleased that some notable figures, like Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the current National Security Adviser, served under Obasanjo. He was the powerful EFCC boss who ensured that an Inspector General of Police was publicly jailed. I believe he is ready to help the president tackle insecurity without fear.

Echoing the calls for President Tinubu to be tough on bandits and terrorists like Obasanjo, I also urge him to use all state institutions to bring down hoodlums, bandits, and their sponsors everywhere. The EFCC should be made more powerful than it was in Ribadu's days, to arrest, prosecute, and jail those supporting terrorists. The Commission should also be a fierce tool against unpatriotic politicians and public officials. The National Agency for Food, Drugs, Administration and Control (NAFDAC) should also be strengthened, working closely with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to eliminate the drugs that criminals and their sponsors use.

Like Obasanjo, President Tinubu cannot promise to give Nigeria everything, but he can promise to lead well. He should use his power to eliminate the chaos causing insecurity in our nation. That would show true respect for the rule of law. He should not be scared by those who shout that democracy is in danger or that there is no respect for the law. No nation truly moves forward if it allows chaos to thrive under the guise of democracy. Every country should define its own version of democracy, and the time for Nigeria to do this is now.

Enough is enough.