*Hails Tinubu’s Military Shake-Up, Warns Security Will Decide Success
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Former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, on Channels Television’s Politics Today, lauded President Bola Tinubu’s recent overhaul of the nation’s top military leadership as a “bold” and “tough” decision, while emphasizing that its true value will be measured by tangible improvements in national security.
Agbakoba, a prominent rights activist, also used the platform to advocate for sweeping constitutional restructuring, arguing that Nigeria’s path to stability and prosperity lies in devolving power from the centre to states and local governments.
Tinubu’s administration announced the reshuffle on Friday, replacing key service chiefs in a move described by Presidential Spokesman Sunday Dare as aimed at bolstering Nigeria’s “national security architecture.” The changes include:
- Gen. Olufemi Oluyede succeeding Gen. Christopher Musa as Chief of Defence Staff.
- Maj. Gen. W. Shaibu appointed Chief of Army Staff.
- Air Vice Marshal S. K. Aneke as Chief of Air Staff.
- Rear Admiral I. Abbas as Chief of Naval Staff.
Maj. Gen. E. A. P. Undiendeye retains his role as Chief of Defence Intelligence. Tinubu expressed “profound appreciation” to the outgoing chiefs for their service and urged the new appointees to prioritize “professionalism, vigilance, and unity” in the armed forces.
Agbakoba, speaking as a guest, commended the move for adhering to the military’s two-year tenure policy for such positions — a practice he said former President Muhammadu Buhari overlooked, leading to demotivation among ranks. “It will send a message to the rank and file that we have a President who is ready to take tough decisions,” Agbakoba stated, contrasting Tinubu’s approach with Buhari’s reluctance to act decisively.
Speculation has swirled around the timing, with whispers of a “rumoured coup” prompting the swift action. Agbakoba deemed this a “sensible” response if intelligence supported it, adding, “It is only sensible that he will take a decision that will not impair the security of the country.” However, he cautioned that Nigerians would judge the reshuffle by its outcomes: “The big question will be, will this decision have an impact on the security of the country? … Will it improve security, which is the problem? Is it going to make that radical transformational change?”
He stressed that persistent insecurity marked by widespread killings demands results, not just optics. “If that happens, then I’ll say kudos to the president,” Agbakoba remarked, echoing broader public concerns over banditry, insurgency, and communal violence.
The conversation quickly pivoted to Agbakoba’s recent policy document, Devolution is the Solution, which he described as a blueprint for Nigeria’s “true transformation.” Dismissing incremental “economic tinkering,” Agbakoba argued that the 1999 Constitution — imposed via military decree — fosters a hyper-centralized system where Abuja hoards power, leaving states and 774 local governments “idle” and fiscally dependent on federal allocations.
“Nigeria is like a 50-storey building that engineers say must be brought down or it will collapse,” he said, criticizing 25 years of failed amendments and six fruitless national conferences. Under his proposed model:
- Fiscal Federalism: Transfer key powers (e.g., resource control, policing) to states and localities, enabling them to “stand on their feet” and unlock 25–35 trillion naira ($15–20 billion) in annual revenue from untapped sectors like maritime, minerals, and regulatory reforms.
- Empowerment Over Central Control: Governors and local leaders become active drivers of development, reducing Abuja’s dominance. “Everybody wants to be in Abuja because all the power is in Abuja. There’s no power in my local government,” Agbakoba noted.
- Security Reforms: Establish state police with safeguards against abuse, drawing from South Africa’s Chapter 10 on independent institutions to ensure autonomy for the judiciary, police, and auditors.
Agbakoba rejected fears of ethnic militias or political weaponization, pointing to state judiciaries’ relative independence as proof that “limited governments” and strong checks can work. On revenue, he highlighted oil and gas as a low-hanging fruit: shift from ceding control to international oil companies (IOCs) for mere taxes and royalties to a Saudi-style model where Nigeria manages the full value chain.
Agbakoba placed the onus on Tinubu, who campaigned on devolution but has been silent since taking office. “The President has been in office long enough to have promulgated for us a new constitution in six months,” he asserted, invoking Section 5 (executive powers) and Section 9 (amendment provisions) of the current charter. This executive-led process, he argued, bypasses the National Assembly’s “25 years of tinkering” and past conferences’ dead ends.
Addressing skeptics, Agbakoba dismissed legal hurdles like presidential oaths or institutional vacuums: “It’s not rocket science. It’s just that they’re not using it.” He envisioned a transparent draft, potentially ratified via referendum, that whittles down presidential powers in favour of broader participation ultimately boosting Tinubu’s 2027 re-election prospects by eradicating poverty and insecurity.
“Why should there be pushback if he has the interest of Nigerians at heart?” Agbakoba challenged, noting a Nigerian President’s “almost absolute” authority makes resistance unlikely. “If the President were to produce a constitution that devolves real authority… it would raise his profile. He will eradicate poverty. He will create wealth.”
Drawing on Awolowo’s unanswered questions “Do we want to be one Nigeria? If yes, what arrangement suits us?” — Agbakoba warned that Nigeria’s ethnic diversity demands “centripetal” federalism, not a “pyramid” tilting toward the centre. He applauded ongoing protests, name-checking activist “Share” as a successor in the fight for democratic accountability.
As the interview wrapped, Agbakoba reiterated three immediate steps for economic gains: (1) reclaim oil and gas value chains from IOCs; (2) devolve mineral and maritime resources to states; and (3) streamline regulations to spur local productivity. “We have abundant revenue but it’s not coming out because we are spending too much time talking about the constitution rather than fixing it,” he concluded.
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