Opinion: Stop Governing for Politics, Govern for History, Writer Tells Tinubu

 

Abuja, Nigeria— Public affairs commentator Sa’adiyyah Adebisi Hassan has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prioritize national security reforms over political calculations, saying history will judge his administration by results rather than political arrangements.

In a column published 14th June 2026 titled “Mr. President, Stop Governing for Politics and Start Governing for History”, Hassan referenced the president’s appointment of retired Major General Adeyinka Famadewa as Special Adviser on Homeland Security. She said the appointment was initially welcomed by security analysts because Nigeria’s security challenges, terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, separatist violence, arms trafficking, cybercrime and transnational crime, require an integrated approach.

From security to politics, author argues

Hassan wrote that the conversation quickly shifted from protecting citizens to “political ownership of offices,” with debates focusing on the influence of the National Security Adviser and regional power balances. 

“Every issue becomes politics. Every reform becomes politics. Every appointment becomes politics. Every solution becomes politics,” she stated, adding: “Meanwhile, terrorists are not playing politics. Bandits are not playing politics. Kidnappers are not playing politics.”

She argued that Nigeria’s current security architecture is not producing expected results, noting the cycle of attacks, kidnappings, funerals, and explanations. According to her, a homeland security framework matters because the country needs “a central platform where intelligence is fused in real time, where agencies cooperate instead of competing, where threats are predicted instead of merely investigated after the damage is done.”

Call for decisive action over political caution  

The writer urged Tinubu to pursue homeland security reforms fully, give the office clear authority, demand measurable results, and “ignore the noise” from political actors. She warned that leaders who protect political alliances at the expense of national necessity are remembered poorly by history.

“One day you will leave office. One day the motorcades will stop. One day the titles will disappear. And when that day comes, nobody will care about the political calculations of 2026 or 2027. They will care about results,” Hassan wrote.

She concluded that future generations will remember whether insecurity declined, highways became secure, kidnappings reduced, terrorists lost territory, and the state regained authority. “Nigeria does not need another politician thinking about the next election. Nigeria needs a statesman thinking about the next generation,” she said.

Note: This report summarizes opinions expressed by Sa’adiyyah Adebisi Hassan in a personal column. The views are attributed to the author and do not reflect the position of this publication or the presidency.