The Leader of the apex Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Reuben Fasoranti, has warned that Nigeria is facing its gravest security crisis since independence, urging northern and southern leaders to forge urgent partnerships to rescue the nation from escalating violence and deepening mistrust.

This is just as a former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd.), has led a fresh charge for unity and stronger regional cooperation as the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) marked its silver jubilee in Kaduna.

Delivering a goodwill message through Afenifere’s National Organising Secretary, Kole Omololu, at the 25th anniversary of the ACF in Kaduna, Fasoranti said the country was “confronted by unimaginable violence, declining public trust and the fraying of social bonds.”

He described the ACF Silver Jubilee as a moment for sober reflection. “We have never had to deal with this level of insecurity… This is a sad moment for our country,” he said.

Fasoranti commended the ACF for 25 years of service and advocacy, noting that it had remained a stabilising voice for the north and a platform for national dialogue, unity and cohesion. “The founders of ACF set out to create a platform through which the voice of Northern Nigeria could be articulated with clarity, responsibility and dignity,” he said.

While raising concerns over insecurity, Fasoranti expressed confidence in President Bola Tinubu’s leadership, asserting that the “Renewed Hope Agenda” had the potential to steer the country toward stability. “Our challenges, though immense and complex, are not insurmountable. What is required is sincerity of purpose, courageous leadership, and a renewed commitment to fairness and justice,” he added.

He urged northern and southern leaders to strengthen cross-regional cooperation built on mutual respect and shared responsibility. “Ours must be a partnership grounded not in suspicion or rivalry, but in mutual respect and shared responsibility,” he stressed.

Fasoranti also called for revisiting Nigeria’s foundational debates between 1953 and 1966, saying historical introspection was necessary to address current insecurity and safeguard the nation’s future. “It is time to reflect on what our fathers and leaders proposed and discussed… This has become urgent and imperative for the security of our people and the future of this country,” he said.

Fasoranti praised the ACF’s role in promoting peace, national understanding and democratic values over the past 25 years. He urged the forum to remain focused on finding solutions to the country’s mounting challenges. “May your discussions yield constructive resolutions that will help shape a more stable, secure, prosperous, and inclusive Nigeria,” he said.

Also speaking, Gowon, represented by former Vice President Namadi Sambo, said the North must prioritise peace and cohesion if it hopes to overcome its current challenges.

He noted that the ACF was founded on principles of moderation and nation-building, ideals he said remain as vital today as they were 25 years ago.

“Unity, peace and harmony are not mere slogans,” he said on Friday. “They are the oxygen for development and the foundation of our collective dignity.”
He warned that extremists continued to exploit division, adding: “Without unity we fracture. Without peace we stagnate.”

ACF Board of Trustees chairman, Bashir Dalhatu, traced the forum’s establishment in 2000 to the region’s need for moral leadership amid rising security and social concerns. He lamented that the situation had deteriorated, citing attacks, abductions and the recent killing of a senior military officer as reminders that many communities remain under siege.

“The government must find a way to end the violence rapidly. The consequences of failure, God forbid, are too frightening to contemplate,” he warned.

Dalhatu said the closure of hundreds of boarding schools due to insecurity underlined the depth of the crisis.

Calling for tighter coordination between traditional leaders, governors and security agencies, he commended security personnel but stressed that “much more must be done.”

Delegations from Afenifere, Ohanaeze, PANDEF and BRAC graced the anniversary, which Dalhatu said reflected “the consolidation of friendship and goodwill across regions.”
Speakers revived the ACF’s historic agenda of strengthening education, agriculture and industrial growth. Traditional rulers, including the Sultan of Sokoto, underscored the urgency of grassroots peacebuilding and sustained interfaith dialogue.

Local Governments Lack Control over Outdoor Advertising, Another Court Rules, Backs ARCON

Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja

The Federal High Court in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, has upheld the constitutional validity and scope of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) Act 2022, affirming the body’s authority over outdoor advertising across Nigeria.

Delivering the judgment on the matter, Justice Isa Dashen dismissed the suit filed by Godec Power Nigeria Limited in its entirety, ruling in favour of ARCON’s regulatory powers over advertising content on all platforms targeting the Nigerian market.

Godec Power had challenged ARCON’s authority, arguing that regulation of outdoor signage falls exclusively under the jurisdiction of local government councils as stipulated in paragraph 1(k)(i) of the fourth schedule to the constitution.

The company also contended that ARCON’s notice of violation infringed on its fundamental right to freedom of expression.

The company sought 13 reliefs, including a perpetual injunction restraining ARCON from enforcing the act and N100 million in general damages.

The judge in a judgement delivered on November 12, 2025, rejected all claims, stating that advertising regulation is not solely a residual matter and that the National Assembly acted within its constitutional powers when enacting the ARCON Act.

The court also dismissed the freedom of expression argument, describing the act’s pre-approval requirement as a lawful regulatory measure designed to ensure public communications meet standards of decency, truthfulness, and fairness.

“The regulatory pre-approval requirement does not suppress expression; it merely ensures that public communications conform to lawful standards of decency, truthfulness and fairness… Such regulation is a legitimate incident of state oversight,” the judge held.

The court further affirmed that ARCON’s regulatory reach extends beyond professional advertisers to include “any and every person who engages in, regulates, sponsors or takes benefit of advertising services”.

Justice Dashen awarded N500,000 in costs to each defendant — the attorney-general of the federation and ARCON.

This ruling follows a recent Federal High Court decision in Lagos that also affirmed the constitutionality of the ARCON Act, signalling judicial support for the regulatory framework governing advertising in Nigeria.

The judgment comes days after the federal high court in Lagos ruled that the regulation of outdoor advertising rests exclusively with LGAs, not ARCON.

This decision was widely regarded as a significant victory for the Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN), which had challenged the act’s provisions as overreaching and conflicting with the 1999 constitution.

The presiding judge, Justice Akintayo Aluko, in the suit Massilia Motors Limited vs. ARCON (FHC/L/CS/1044/2025), held that the power to regulate outdoor advertising and hoardings rests solely with local government councils as provided by the constitution.

​