Former presidential candidate Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim has called recent US airstrikes on Islamic State enclaves in Nigeria new evidence of the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government’s serious security shortcomings.
According to Olawepo-Hashim, the US military action, which was purportedly carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities against IS-linked militants operating in parts of the Northwest, heightened worldwide concern about Nigeria’s deteriorating security situation.
In a statement issued on Sunday in Ilorin, Olawepo-Hashim argued that Nigeria’s reliance on external military intervention was a “damning indictment” of the administration of President Bola Tinubu and the APC, noting that the country’s internal security architecture had remained weak and ineffective.
According to him, responsible global actors could not afford to ignore the emergence of an IS foothold in Nigeria, describing the country as “too large, too strategic, and too important to be allowed to fail.”
Olawepo-Hashim revealed that his team has continuously cautioned that security modelling in the Northwest points to a dangerous trajectory, including the possibility of an IS-aligned enclave forming if prompt action is not taken.
He attributed the deteriorating situation to rising poverty, chronic governance failures, and weakening institutions, which he claimed had encouraged extremist organizations while limiting the room for moderate political and secular voices.
“More worrying is the elevation of individuals who enable or rationalize extremism into positions of political influence, creating conditions under which terror groups can aspire to territorial control,” he said.
The former presidential candidate also mentioned the recent explosion in Offa, Kwara State, which caused panic and property destruction, stating that such instances revealed the vulnerability of internal security and intelligence coordination across the country.
While conceding that foreign bombings could temporarily reduce terrorist capabilities, Olawepo-Hashim emphasized that long-term peace could only be reached through internal reforms.
He stated that repeated external interventions, if not effectively managed, might create severe sovereignty and accountability concerns, and that all security collaboration with foreign partners must be guided by clear frameworks, openness, and strong control.
“The situation in the Northwest is dire. Without urgent internal reforms, improved governance, and decisive political leadership, external military interventions will not produce sustainable results,” he warned.
Olawepo-Hashim also questioned the APC-led government’s readiness to enact the far-reaching reforms needed to stabilize the country, claiming that Nigeria still has basic governance and security inadequacies that threaten its democratic future.
He also said that unsolved political compromises dating back to the 2015 power battle had hampered the government’s resolve to deal decisively with extreme elements.
Olawepo-Hashim cautioned that Nigeria could no longer afford denial or half-measures in the face of what he regarded as an existential threat and urged decisive leadership to prevent the country from sliding further into instability.
