By Muhammad Mamman
Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, has warned that Nigeria’s increasing focus on protecting political leaders rather than citizens is eroding public trust and threatening democracy.
In a statement titled “National Security, Justice, and the People’s Wellbeing: Reclaiming the Purpose of Power,” dated February 8, 2026, El-Rufai cautioned that the country is shifting from genuine national security to what he called “regime security.” He said such a trend undermines justice, economic development, and the safety of ordinary Nigerians.
“National security must ensure that Nigerians can live in peace, dignity, and without fear,” El-Rufai said. “It should not exist merely to protect those temporarily in power.”
Referring to Nigeria’s National Security Strategy of 2019, he stressed that a secure state depends on the protection of its citizens, not partisan interests. Over the past 26 years of democratic rule, he said, security and criminal justice institutions have increasingly been used to preserve political dominance rather than uphold the Constitution.
El-Rufai drew a clear line between defending the country and shielding a political regime, warning that prioritising regime security turns security agencies into tools of intimidation and weakens public trust. He said this approach deepens insecurity, discourages investment, and risks the collapse of democratic institutions, even when elections continue.
Calling for urgent reforms, he urged a return to a human-centred, constitutionally grounded security system in which agencies are loyal to the Constitution rather than individual politicians.
