By Patrick Yakubu
As 2027 approaches, the political reality confronting the Tinubu administration is stark and unforgiving: no amount of campaign messaging, infrastructure projects or policy explanations can outweigh the daily fears of citizens living under the shadow of insecurity.
Nigerians are tired of condolences after attacks. They are weary of promises after every massacre and increasingly frustrated by official assurances that fail to translate into safety on the ground. Communities under siege are not asking for more speeches; they are asking for protection. Families mourning loved ones are not interested in rhetoric; they want justice and security.
This is why the Minister of Defence must now move from symbolism to substance. The responsibilities of that office are too sacred and too consequential to be reduced to public relations exercises, courtesy visits and ceremonial engagements.
The higher expectations from people is now eroded and they feel he has only come to make money in the Ministry. The primary assignment of the Minister is not to explain insecurity but to help end it; not to manage perceptions but to secure lives. Some people say they see him as a parrot, visiting communities speaking too much grammar, they see the situation as hopeless as long as he remains the Minister. He should face military operations instead and curb insecurity.
General Christopher Gwabin Musa (rtd) OFR still has an opportunity to redefine his legacy. But history is not written by intentions or appearances. It is written by results. The measure of his stewardship will not be the number of meetings attended or statements issued, but whether farmers can return to their fields, whether travellers can move safely on Nigerian roads, and whether communities can sleep without fear of terrorists, bandits and kidnappers.
The message from Nigerians is becoming louder and impossible to ignore: enough of the rhetoric. The time has come for decisive action, strategic leadership and measurable outcomes. The Defence Minister must rise fully to the demands of his office and return the Ministry of Defence to its central purpose—defending the defenceless and securing the nation. He should justify his appointment please.
For if insecurity remains unchecked, the greatest opposition confronting the government in 2027 may not be any political party or coalition, but the painful memories of citizens who believe that their cries for protection went unanswered.
*Patrick Yakubu is a youth leader, public affairs commentator, and political analyst. He writes from Kaduna State.
