End Banditry In North Or Forget 2027 Election, Sambo Tells Tinubu

End Banditry In North Or Forget 2027 Election, Sambo Tells Tinubu

A prominent Northern elder and public commentator, Alhaji Dabo Sambo, has warned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that unless he urgently tackles insecurity and banditry, particularly in northern Nigeria, his chances of winning the 2027 presidential election will be slim.

Briefing newsmen, Alhaji Sambo, emphasized that insecurity remains the greatest threat facing the country, with lives and property constantly at risk.

He noted that restoring safety and stability is the primary function of any government, and failure to deliver on this front could cost the President re-election.

“Food is scarce in Nigeria and people are hungry,” Sambo stated, linking the growing food crisis to insecurity in the North-East and North-West—regions responsible for over 60% of the country’s agricultural output.

According to him, farmers are fleeing their lands due to banditry, kidnapping, and terrorist activities, causing a major drop in food production and rising prices.

He also pointed out the economic consequences of insecurity, including a weakened naira, high transportation costs, and rising inflation that are draining the savings of ordinary Nigerians.

Sambo issued a direct call to President Tinubu, urging him to resolve the insecurity crisis within the next six months and revive local agriculture within a year.

“If President Tinubu refuses to wipe out the security challenges, he will definitely not win the 2027 election,” he warned, drawing parallels with former President Goodluck Jonathan’s defeat in 2015, which he also attributed to unchecked insecurity.

“The era of carton noodles and salt distribution during campaigns is over,” he said. “People want security and food. Without these, they will not vote,” he said.

Sambo dismissed Tinubu’s political rivals as lacking credible plans to transform Nigeria, but insisted that if the president does not address the root causes of insecurity and economic hardship, even rigging structures will not save his re-election bid.

He added that President Tinubu must deal with the real enemies within his circle, saying the visible competitors are not the problem it’s the failure to act decisively on security and food production that could end his presidency.”

He further cited recent revelations from the U.S. Congress implicating the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in allegedly funding Boko Haram claims also echoed by Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa. Sambo called on the Nigerian government to stop pretending and confront these international influences head-on.