By Ayomide Otitoju
The 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has criticised President Bola Tinubu over the approval of 1,000 forest guards for Oyo State, describing the move as a reactive response to the country’s worsening security challenges.
In a statement posted on his X account on Friday and titled “What Our Pervasive Insecurity Requires: A Holistic, Not Reactive Approach,” Obi argued that the Federal Government’s response to insecurity lacked strategic planning and reflected poor leadership.
Tinubu recently approved the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards for Oyo State following the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in the Oriire Local Government Area of the state.
Reacting to the decision, Obi said while increasing security personnel was necessary, the approach should be part of a broader and well-coordinated national security framework rather than a state-specific intervention.
“In a hasty effort to be perceived as attentive and courageous, it is reported that President Bola Tinubu has approved the recruitment of about 1,000 forest guards for Oyo State,” Obi said.
He argued that the decision mirrored what he described as the administration’s reactive handling of major policy issues, including the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira.
Obi questioned whether similar approvals would be granted to all states facing security threats, noting that insecurity remains widespread across the country, with states such as Oyo, Plateau, Kwara, Kogi, Borno, Katsina, Anambra, Niger, Imo and Sokoto experiencing significant security challenges.
He also raised concerns about the future role of the South-West security outfit, Amotekun Corps, asking whether the new forest guard initiative would overlap with or replace existing structures.
According to Obi, Nigeria’s security crisis is rooted in broader governance failures, including inadequate leadership, poor economic management, and the inability to harness the country’s resources to create jobs and opportunities for its growing youth population.
“The pervasive insecurity we currently have is directly related to the failure of our ecosystem, particularly leadership,” he said, adding that addressing the challenge requires a comprehensive and coordinated national strategy.
Obi maintained that tackling insecurity effectively would require a holistic approach that addresses governance, economic development, industrialisation, and national unity, rather than isolated measures targeted at individual states.
