President Bola Tinubu must heed the recommendations of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on curbing rising insecurity, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) 2027 presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has said. Atiku made the call on Wednesday in a post on X, reacting to a communique issued by CAN following its 2026 National Church Leaders Summit. The statement, signed by Archbishop Daniel Okoh, condemned the surge in kidnappings and demanded the immediate release of all abducted schoolchildren. CAN called for a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria's security framework, including improved intelligence gathering, stronger inter-agency collaboration, and greater accountability in combating terrorism, banditry and violent crime.
Atiku aligned himself with CAN's concerns, stating that the church's demands reflect his own position on the failure of the Tinubu-led Federal Government to address security challenges. He emphasized that insecurity continues to affect Nigerians indiscriminately, cutting across religious and ethnic lines. The ADC candidate urged Tinubu to act on CAN's recommendations while still in office, warning that the government's inaction represents a 360-degree failure. No direct response from the presidency to either CAN's statement or Atiku's remarks was reported.
Atiku's call for Tinubu to follow CAN's security recommendations highlights his attempt to position himself as a responsive alternative while distancing from the current administration's shortcomings. The endorsement of a church-led agenda by a secular political figure blurs lines between religious advocacy and state policy in a nation already tense over religious dimensions of governance. CAN's demand for systemic security reform remains unmet under the current government, and Atiku's alignment with it offers political cover without detailing how his approach would differ. The focus on religious leadership to drive national security discourse risks sidelining institutional military and intelligence reforms needed beyond moral appeals.
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