- Calls for urgent internal reforms to complement external military actions
Presidential hopeful Gbenga Hashim has criticized the recent United States airstrikes targeting Islamic State (IS) elements in Nigeria, describing the intervention as a damning indictment of the country's security architecture under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC-led administration.
In a statement on Sunday, Hashim said the strikes reflect growing international concern over Nigeria's deteriorating security situation, particularly in the North-West, where terrorist groups are steadily consolidating influence.
Hashim, a former presidential candidate, revealed that his team had repeatedly warned since 2021--and more intensely over the past year--that security modelling in the North-West indicated a dangerous trajectory, including the emergence of IS-aligned enclaves if urgent action was not taken.
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He attributed the worsening insecurity to deepening poverty, prolonged governance failures, and weakened institutions, which he said have emboldened extremist groups while silencing moderate political and secular voices.
"More worrying is the elevation of individuals who enable or rationalize extremism into positions of political influence, creating conditions under which terror groups can aspire to territorial control," Hashim stated.
While acknowledging that international airstrikes may temporarily degrade terrorist capabilities, he emphasized that lasting solutions must come from within Nigeria. External interventions, he noted, must be guided by security cooperation frameworks between sovereign nations, with accountability and transparent reporting to ensure long-term stability.
"The situation in the North-West is dire. Without urgent internal reforms, improved governance, and decisive political leadership, external military interventions will not produce sustainable results," he warned.
Hashim questioned the APC-led government's readiness to implement critical internal reforms, citing ongoing governance and security deficits that threaten Nigeria's democratic future. He also alleged that political compromises dating back to the 2015 struggle for power now constrain the government's ability to confront extremist elements decisively.
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Concluding, Hashim called for urgent and courageous leadership, warning that Nigeria can no longer afford denial or half-measures in addressing what he described as an existential threat to national security.
