Former Zamfara State Governor and Senator representing Zamfara West, Abdul’aziz Yari, has expressed confidence that insecurity will not undermine the credibility of the 2027 general elections.
Yari also said President Bola Tinubu was committed to ensuring a free, fair and credible electoral process despite the security challenges confronting the country.
He spoke in Abuja at the eighth edition of the Blueprint Newspaper Public Lecture, Impact Series and Awards, themed, “Security Challenges and Integrity of Nigeria’s 2027 Election.”
Yari, who governed Zamfara for eight years, said insecurity was a national challenge that required the collective efforts of government, political leaders, community leaders and citizens.
He said his experience confronting insecurity in Zamfara since 2011 had given him firsthand knowledge of the challenges it posed to governance and elections.
“When you talk of insecurity in the country, I think I am the subject, or those who know,” Yari said, recalling that he began confronting the problem about three months after assuming office as governor.
The senator said insecurity had featured prominently during the 2015, 2019 and 2023 general elections, but stressed that the challenge should not be allowed to determine the outcome of the 2027 polls.
“My little experience on insecurity during the general election in 2015, my little experience on Buhari’s re-election with insecurity in 2019, as well as the election of 2023 with insecurity challenges, are all in the records of what happened. Today is not a different story,” he said.
Yari rejected attempts to treat insecurity as solely the responsibility of the President or security agencies, arguing that politicians, elites and ordinary citizens also had roles to play in addressing the problem.
“We are the security, as well as the insecurity. Leaders, people, are not the business of our government’s security or security architecture only. Politicians, elites, and ordinary men on the streets were all part of it,” he said.
According to him, insecurity goes beyond its impact on elections, affecting the economy, livelihoods and the general wellbeing of Nigerians.
“This subject, or this theme of today, is not only about the election. It’s about our lives, our economy, our well-being,” he said.
The senator urged Nigerians to unite against insecurity and avoid politicising the challenge, recalling that he resisted attempts to turn the security crisis in Zamfara into a political issue while he was governor.
“When I stepped in as a governor, when this thing started, they tried as much as they could to bring the politics. I told them no, it’s not politics. This thing is about our life,” he said.
Yari identified security and the economy as the two major areas he expects the Tinubu administration to prioritise.
Meanwhile, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Nentawe Yilwatda, urged Nigerians, particularly young people, to remain hopeful despite the country’s challenges.
Yilwatda spoke after receiving the Blueprint Person of the Year award alongside 23 other individuals and organisations recognised for their contributions to national development.
He described the award as an honour that carried a renewed responsibility to serve the country, stressing that national development was the product of collective effort rather than the achievement of individuals.
“To be named the Blueprint Person of the Year, the high distinction of this important award, is an honour that I accept with immense gratitude,” he said.
Yilwatda said the real significance of the recognition would be measured by the actions of the awardees after the ceremony.
He urged them to build stronger institutions, pursue measurable results and place public interest above personal ambitions.
“May this honour inspire us to build institutions stronger than personalities and pursue results larger than publicity, and place the public good above our personal advantage,” he said.
The APC chairman acknowledged the contributions of families, colleagues and supporters to the achievements of those honoured, saying Nigeria’s challenges could be overcome through collective determination.
“Nigeria may be facing some difficulties, but they are not beyond the reach of our collective resolve. Our challenges may be great, but the Nigerian spirit is greater,” he said.
Yilwatda expressed optimism that Nigeria could create a society where young people could pursue their aspirations without fear and diversity would serve as a source of strength rather than division.
He dedicated his award to Nigerians working for national development, describing leadership as service and democracy as a sacred trust.
“The greatest recognition is not the award we have received, but the lives that will be improved, and the nature of help we can support people from today to build a nation that all of us can be proud of,” he said.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, also commended Blueprint Newspapers for sustaining its operations for 15 years.
Idris, who served as the newspaper’s foundation chairman, said he remained connected to the organisation and hoped to return after completing his government assignment.
“I’ve told them that they should keep my little chair there. Whenever my tour of duty is over, I will have to go back to continue where I swore,” he said.
He congratulated the management and staff of the newspaper on its 15th anniversary and commended its commitment to journalism and national development.
(The Whistler)