Abuja – The Oodua Peoples’ Network (OPN) and the Niger Delta Stakeholders Forum (NDSF) on Thursday issued a joint rebuke of Osun East Senator Francis Fadahunsi after he urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remove National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and replace him with a retired military officer.
In a statement signed by NDSF Chairman Barr. Andrew Mene, Secretary Roland Abarasi Tamunopiri and Publicity Secretary Umukoro Joseph Erhimeyoma, the forum described the senator’s remarks as “narrow, outdated, and misguided.” The group said modern security threats – from terrorism and cybercrime to intelligence coordination – demand a leader with strategic depth, intelligence expertise and inter‑agency coordination skills, qualities they said Ribadu has “consistently demonstrated.”
“Ribadu’s track record as former EFCC Chairman and his longstanding involvement in security and governance reforms show that effective leadership is not defined by military background, but by competence, integrity and the ability to integrate intelligence with security operations,” the NDSF statement read. It added that President Tinubu’s appointment of Ribadu follows global best practices, noting that leading democracies appoint civilians, technocrats or intelligence professionals as national security advisers. “Security is no longer about who wears a uniform; it is about who can analyse threats, dismantle complex networks, and coordinate civilian and military institutions effectively. Senator Fadahunsi’s argument belongs to the past.”
The Oodua Peoples’ Network, in a separate release signed by President Chief Olasupo Bamidele, Secretary Chief Emmanuel Adesokan and Director of Organisation Kehinde Olasope, dismissed the senator’s call as “simplistic and dangerously out of touch with global realities.” OPN emphasized that hybrid threats such as banditry, kidnapping, pipeline vandalism, cyber‑crime and terrorism require “brains, strategic foresight and policy coherence, not nostalgia for military‑era thinking.”
“Ribadu brings to the table far more than a badge or a uniform ever could. His record in dismantling criminal networks, fighting corruption, and coordinating intelligence frameworks places him far ahead of outdated rank‑based assumptions,” the OPN statement said.
Both organisations reminded the public that the Office of the National Security Adviser has never been the exclusive preserve of military personnel, citing former coordinators Late Muhammadu Gambo Jimeta, a retired Inspector General of Police, and Alh. Ismaila Gwarzo, a seasoned intelligence officer, as examples of effective civilian leadership in the role.
Reaffirming their support for President Tinubu’s security architecture, the groups described Ribadu as the “most competent, credible and strategically equipped” person for the position. “What Nigeria needs now is results, not recycled arguments. The nation must rally behind efforts to strengthen intelligence gathering, enhance operational synergy, and secure sustainable peace,” they said.
The OPN and NDSF urged political leaders to refrain from politicizing security matters and to contribute constructively to nation‑building.
