African Security: Nigeria Leads from the Front

Edward Gabkwet

In a statement on 21 January 2025 at the end of its 9842nd meeting, the United Nation Security Council (UNSC), through the Deputy Secretary-General, Dr Amina J. Mohammed, reiterated what has since become the new security reality confronting the African continent: that terrorism is the most significant threat to peace, security and sustainable development across the African continent.

According to her, Africa has become the epicentre of global terrorism, with Sub-Saharan Africa accounting for 59 per cent of all terrorism-related deaths worldwide. She also revealed that in the last 3 years, terrorism-related deaths have soared past 6,000, making up more than half of all global fatalities.

In this surge of the deadly scourge, she further revealed, Burkina Faso led the world in terrorism deaths with a staggering 68 per cent increase with no solution in sight. Painting an even austere picture of the threat’s complexity, Dr Amina Mohammed further noted that Al-Qaida and Da’esh affiliate groups such as Al-Shabaab in Somalia, the Allied Democratic Forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama in Mozambique, continue to unleash horrific violence.

These groups, according to her, are not only terrorizing communities but also inflicting unspeakable acts of sexual and gender-based violence, assaulting children and forcibly recruiting them into their ranks.

She then warned that the marginalization of youths, coupled with soaring unemployment, has left an entire generation vulnerable to being recruited byextremist groups. To confront the situation, she recommended evolving new strategies and innovative approaches to counter the scourge with, “regional cooperation as the linchpin of any effective counter-terrorism strategy”.

Similar worries were voiced by the African Union through its Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Bankole Adeoye. According to Adeoye, the gravity of the threats via the exponential growth of terrorism in Africa is overwhelming and startling, with over 3,400 terrorists’ attacks recorded on the continent in 2024 alone resulting in over 13,900 fatalities. He then advocated for African leaders to proffer, “African solutions to African problems that works for all.”

Nigeria’s past approach to regional and sub-regional security have propelled her to the centre stage of African affairs in general and in West African security matters in particular. Her commitment to regional integration in the areas of peace, defence and security has been crucial to the successes recorded so far in these areas.

The size of its large population, its market, enormous natural resources as well as its considerable military capabilities rightfully bestow on Nigeria the role of a regional hegemony. Over the past decade or so, the security challenges posed by terrorists and insurgents operating in the Northern region have tested the resolve of Nigeria’s Armed Forces.

However, through sheer determination and collaboration with militaries of contiguous nations, these threats have been largely contained, albeit with pockets of attacks on soft targets. Precision air strikes by the Nigerian Air Force in the early hours of 23 August 2025, on terrorists’ hideouts at Kumshe near the Nigeria-Cameroun Border in Borno State, Northeast Nigeria, as well as the recent arrest of 2 key leaders of the Ansaru terrorist group, Abu Baraa, the group’s Amir (leader), and Mahmuda, the deputy Amir, are strong pointers to the gains of close synergy and collaboration between the various security agencies as well as with neighbouring countries to jointly eliminate the common threats of terrorism.

Therefore, Nigeria’s experience in counterterrorism operations as well as the renewed vigour emplaced to checkmate the nefarious activities of terrorists aptly qualifies her to lead the call for a united African front in the fight against terrorism on the continent.

The gathering of the Chiefs of Defence Staff (CDS) from the 54 African countries at the Maiden African Chiefs of Defence Staff Summit in Abuja to fashion out Africa-led solutions to the continent’s myriads of security challenges is therefore apt and could not have come at a more auspicious time. Without doubt, it tallies with the growing consensus that Africa is stronger when it comes together, act with a shared purpose and partner with each other in the right way, to solve shared and common challenges.

It also aligns with the notion that fragmentation of counter-terrorism efforts only serves the perpetrators who thrive by sowing divisions, hence the need for a united and urgent response focused on fostering unity of purpose, dialogue, trust and coordinated action. This is beside the well-known fact that the dynamic and transnational nature of terrorism reinforces one truth: a threat to security anywhere is a threat to security everywhere.

Accordingly, the Summit presents an avenue for the CDS’ to engage in dialogue on shared defence and security mechanisms to enhance defence capabilities amongst their various nations. With the theme, “Combating Contemporary Threats to Regional Peace and Security in Africa: The Role of Strategic Defence Collaborations,” the Summit would cover 4 thematic areas, including: Initiating Discussions on Collective Strategies for African Security Issues; Facilitating Collaborative Response to Peace and Security Issues in Africa; Developing Mechanisms for Integrating the Private Sector into Africa’s Defence Efforts; and Establishing a Roundtable for the Initiation of Homegrown Solutions to Africa’s Defence Needs. It is equally good that the Summit will highlight Africa’s R&D and defence capabilities through an exhibition to hold on the sideline of the Summit.

At this point, Nigeria’s CDS, General Christopher Gwabin Musa and his team must be commended for initiating the Summit and seeing to its realization. The Summit, currently underway in Abuja, further cements Nigeria’s enviable position in championing Africa’s unity and leading from the front.

But beyond the optics, much more would be expected out of this Summit in terms of tangible strategies and solutions to change the tides against terrorists operating on the continent. Finally, this positive momentum must be encouraged and sustained because the cost and damages that terrorism and insurgency inflict to African nations and societies are monumental and debilitating.

*Gabkwet, a serving Airman and former NAF spokesperson, writes from Abuja.

The post African Security: Nigeria Leads from the Front appeared first on THISDAYLIVE.

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September 28, 2025
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PDP Govs Reclaim Control as Party Zones 21 Offices

*North-west to produce national chairman, South-west gets national secretary

*Zoning committee extends deadlines for submission of forms, screening of aspirants
*Fresh crisis looms as Damagum, Anyanwu write conflicting letters to INEC on state congresses

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

As the November 16, 2025, National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scheduled for Ibadan, Oyo State capital, approaches, the governors elected on the party’s platform may have reclaimed their influence and outwitted other stakeholders in the zoning of the party’s offices, THISDAY investigation has revealed.

This is just as the National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC) of the party has extended the deadlines for the submission of completed Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms, as well as the screening of aspirants contesting for offices in the November Elective National Convention of the party.

However, a fresh crisis is brewing in the main opposition party as the National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, have issued conflicting notices to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regarding the conduct of state congresses in three states.
THISDAY gathered that in the zoning arrangement for 21 offices, backed by the governors, the office of the National Chairman of the PDP was zoned to the North-west, foreclosing the chances of former Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State from clinching the position.

Ortom belongs to the camp of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, which has been clamouring for the position to be retained in the North-central, where the former National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, and Ortom hail from.
By pushing for the position to be retained in the North-central, Wike’s camp, it was learnt, was clearing the coast for Ortom to emerge as the next national chairman of the main opposition party in the November convention.

Investigation revealed that in their bid to outwit the FCT minister’s Integrity Group, the party’s governors and the Ambassador Umar Damagum-led National Working Committee (NWC) pushed the office of the National Chairman to the North-west and the Deputy National Chairman to Ortom’s North-central zone, foreclosing the chances of the former Benue State governor.

With the zoning of the office of the Deputy National chairman of the party to North-central, Ortom is out of the chairmanship race.
In the North-west, the PDP governors are said to be pushing for the emergence of either the former governor of Kano State, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau or the former governor of Kaduna State, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, who is currently the Secretary of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party.

Under the new zoning arrangement, the office of the National Secretary is zoned to the South-west, while the office of the National Organising Secretary, the engine house of the party in all electoral matters, is zoned to the North-east.
According to the comprehensive list sighted by THISDAY, the positions of the National Chairman, Deputy National Auditor, and the National Legal Adviser are micro-zoned to the North-west.

The influential position of National Legal Adviser was previously held by the North-central geopolitical zone.
In the approved list, the positions of Deputy National Chairman (North), National Treasurer, Deputy National Financial Secretary, and Deputy National Women’s Leader are zoned to the North-central.
The North-east is allocated the positions of the National Organising Secretary, National Youth Leader, and Deputy National Publicity Secretary.

The party also assigned the positions of the Deputy National Secretary, National Financial Secretary, National Women Leader, and Deputy National Youth Leader to the South-east.
The party also assigned the positions of the Deputy National Chairman (South), National Publicity Secretary, Deputy National Treasurer, and the Deputy National Legal Adviser to the South-south, while the positions of the National Secretary, National Auditor, and Deputy National Organising Secretary were zoned to the South-west.
However, the zoning arrangement is subject to approval at the party’s National Convention.

Zoning Committee Extends Deadlines for Submission of Forms, Screening of Aspirants
Meanwhile, the zoning committee of the party has extended the deadlines for the submission of completed Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms by the aspirants contesting for offices from the earlier scheduled date of Friday, September 26th, 2025.
In the same vein, the NCOC has also approved the shifting of the date for the screening of aspirants from the earlier scheduled date of Tuesday, September 30, 2025.

In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the party and Secretary of the Sub-Committee of NCOC, Debo Ologunagba, the party said that the extension was necessitated by the need to ensure all necessary arrangements for the smooth conduct of the exercise.
He said that new dates would be communicated in due course, and urged all the aspirants to note the extension and be guided accordingly.

Fresh Crisis Looms as Damagum, Anyanwu Write Conflicting Letters to INEC on State Congresses
In another development, a fresh crisis is brewing in the main opposition party as the National Chairman, Damagum, and the National Secretary, Anyanwu, have issued conflicting notices to the INEC regarding the conduct of state congresses in three states.
In a letter dated September 25, 2025, sighted by THISDAY, Damagum informed INEC that the party’s scheduled congresses in Cross River, Plateau, and Kebbi states — earlier fixed for Saturday, September 27, 2025 — had been postponed due to “unforeseen circumstances and operational logistic challenges.”

In the letter, Damagum stated that a new date for the exercise would be communicated to the electoral body in due course.
“The National Working Committee of our great party hereby postpones the state congresses in Cross River, Plateau, and Kebbi states. A new date will be communicated to the Commission,” the letter read in part.
However, barely 24 hours later, PDP National Secretary, Anyanwu, wrote a counter-letter to INEC dated September 26, insisting that the congresses would proceed as originally scheduled.

“This is to confirm to the commission that the congress will hold as originally scheduled and has not been postponed. The earlier letter signed by the National Chairman should be ignored,” Anyanwu stated.
He further warned that any communication sent to INEC without the signatures of both the National Chairman and National Secretary should not be recognised, stressing that the exercise in the three states “shall hold as earlier scheduled.”
Anyanwu confirmed to THISDAY that he wrote the said letter to INEC, explaining that the National chairman cannot write to INEC without him counter-signing.

The PDP has been grappling with leadership crises, as rival factions and party organs continue to clash over control and decision-making ahead of its elective congress and the 2027 general election.
Both the national chairman and national secretary belong to different camps in the PDP.
Damagum-led NWC is working closely with the PDP governors, while Anyanwu belongs to Wike’s camp.

*North-west to produce national chairman, South-west gets national secretary *Zoning committee extends deadlines for submission of forms, screening of aspirants*Fresh crisis looms as Damagum, Anyanwu write conflicting letters to INEC