senator Orji Kalu
Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has claimed that Nigeria’s rising insecurity is being deliberately manipulated by political actors seeking to weaken President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking on Politics Sunday, a Channels Television programme, Kalu dismissed suggestions that the President has been lax in addressing national security. He insisted that Tinubu is “not sleeping” and receives daily intelligence briefings to tackle the crisis.
“Insecurity is politically instigated. They want Tinubu to fail,” Kalu said, alleging that recent attacks, abductions, and violent incidents are being sponsored to discredit the administration. “This is the same pattern we saw with former President Jonathan. It’s all about positioning for 2027.”
The former Abia State Governor highlighted Tinubu’s decision to cancel all engagements on Sunday as evidence of the President’s commitment to restoring peace. Reacting to the latest wave of school kidnappings, Kalu expressed confidence in security agencies’ ability to recover abducted students.
“Those girls and other students that were kidnapped will be recovered. Our security operatives and service chiefs are fully on duty. We will track these bandits down,” he assured.
Kalu stressed that security is a shared responsibility between the federal and state governments, cautioning governors against shifting blame. Drawing from his own tenure as governor, he cited his creation of the Bakassi security outfit as an example of proactive leadership.
“If most of these states want to declare a state of emergency and send me there for six months, I will keep it peaceful. I know what to do,” he offered.
Pressed on the identities of those allegedly fueling insecurity, Kalu declined to name individuals, saying the intelligence community is already handling the matter.
He also addressed the debate on state police, noting that constitutional amendments are required to implement it nationwide. “We tried in the 9th Senate, but it failed. You can’t blame the National Assembly,” he said.
Turning to the issue of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, Kalu called for political dialogue to resolve the crisis, emphasizing that accountability and justice are separate from political solutions. “If you incite people to kill, you must face trial. But this problem must be solved politically,” he said, citing recent calls from Bianca Ojukwu and Mascot Uzor Kalu to de-escalate tensions.
Kalu revealed ongoing efforts to engage the Attorney-General and the President on the matter. Reflecting on his past lobbying for Kanu’s bail under former President Buhari, he highlighted his personal involvement in negotiations and legal processes in 2017.
He also cautioned supporters against targeting Justice Omotosho, the trial judge, noting that the appellate courts are the proper channels for contesting rulings.
Kalu concluded that the Senate is actively engaged in managing the crisis. “I just left the Senate President’s office. We are discussing how to solve this problem and will hand over our resolutions to the security agencies,” he said.