Ahead of the 2027 general elections, there has been subtle clamour for former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s return to active politics to contest the presidential election. Nigerians championing this call have hinged their clamour on the rising cases of violent crimes nationwide since he left office in 2015.
Although under his regime, the activities of the Boko Haram insurgency heightened, statistics show that he was able to decimate them to the level that it was believed that they would be completely wiped out in no time.
In a March 2015 article, Daily Post recalled that “when the Boko Haram insurgency, which reared its head in earnest in 2009 and was fuelled inopportunely by rogue elites for the 2007 elections, took root, it was time to hem in the insurgents and deal decisively with their undesirable acts.
“It was a tough act. Some antagonists of the government had earlier promised to foment violence after losing out in the 2007 elections. Their actions would lead to sabotage, divisiveness and outright support for the insurgency. They infiltrated the ranks of government and the armed forces and caused esprit de corps to dip among the rank and file.
“Added to this, Nigeria was not getting all the much-needed support from her neighbours in arresting the miscreants. Things got so out of hand that suicide bombings, kidnappings, mass murder and land grabs were the order of the day.
“It has taken the sagacity and tact of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, to reverse the plunge. Firstly, he moved to equip the armed forces through training and providing cutting-edge military hardware. Then, he engaged Nigeria’s neighbours in fruitful diplomatic reengagement.
“In the process, the much-needed esprit de corps among the Nigerian troops was revived, and a previously taciturn neighbourhood came alive in helping to fight the insurgents. In no time, Boko Haram insurgents found themselves on the back foot. The once dreaded group has now been reduced to a mere gang of irritants. It won’t be long before the entire insurgency is totally decimated.
“The path taken by Nigeria’s President and Commander-in-Chief is the way to go and should be a lesson in strategy and regional engagement for years to come. That’s why it is key that all Nigerians should reelect Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan on March 28, 2015”, it read in part.
On his part, Senator Ali Ndume from Borno State, while contributing to a motion on insecurity in the northeastern part of the country during plenary on the floor of the Senate recently, also corroborated the above article when he said that the administration of Goodluck Eebele Jonathan was at the verge of eliminating the insurgents when intervention from “the above” allegedly scuttled the move.
Available statistics show that insecurity in Nigeria worsened during the regime of President Muhammadu Buhari, marked by escalating violence, banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism.
Boko Haram Insurgency continued to plague the country, particularly in the Northeast, with attacks on civilians, kidnappings, and massacres. Despite Buhari’s claims of defeating Boko Haram, the group remained a significant threat.
Bandits and kidnappers operate almost unhindered, targeting innocent citizens, including students, women, and children. The Northwest and North-Central regions were particularly affected.
There are also cases of persistent attacks by suspected Fulani Herdsmen. Clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farming communities led to violence, displacement, and loss of life.
The sad state of things included a high death Toll with a staggering 63,111 people alleged to have been killed during the Buhari administration, with many more injured or displaced.
The government’s response was criticised for being inadequate, with many accusing Buhari’s administration of failing to address the root causes of insecurity.
Some experts attribute the insecurity to factors such as neglect of education, where a poor education system and lack of social mobility contribute to youth involvement in crime and militancy. There is also the factor of poverty and unemployment, which drives individuals to join armed groups.
Overall, the Buhari administration’s handling of insecurity was widely criticised, with many Nigerians feeling that the government failed to protect its citizens and address the underlying causes of violence.
An assessment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s two years in office shows that insecurity has been a significant challenge. According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), 7,472 people were killed, and 12,584 were abducted within the first two years of Tinubu’s leadership.
Nigeria has suffered over 20 terror attacks since Tinubu took office, with clashes and violent attacks in Benue, Borno, and other parts of the country, resulting in killings and abductions.
There is also increased regional Insecurity where the North Central region has been the epicentre of violence, with 2,628 deaths and 1,026 kidnappings reported, followed closely by the Northwest with 2,071 casualties and 2,326 abductions.
The Tinubu administration has implemented new strategies, including leadership overhauls, tactical reorganisation, and renewed inter-agency collaboration. These have shown some early signs of success with a notable decline in fatalities and kidnappings in the first four months of 2025.
–Sami is the publisher of Nigerian Pilot Sami
Despite these efforts, the government has faced criticism for not doing enough to address insecurity, with some accusing Tinubu of failing to tackle the root causes of violence. Some notable incidents include Niger State: 631 people were killed, and 251 kidnapped in 178 attacks.
Amnesty International reports that over 10,000 people have been killed by non-state actors since Tinubu assumed office, although the government disputes this figure.
Although the presidency has countered criticism, stating that Tinubu is “on top of the situation” and working hard to restore peace to every part of the country, Nigerians are still worried about the country’s security situation.
Satisfied with the way Goodluck Ebele Jonathan handled security challenges during his time as President, those clamouring for his return are convinced that he would do more to stop security challenges across the country than he did when he was in power.
They believed that both President Muhammadu Buhari and the incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu failed to understand the tactics applied by Jonathan, which pushed back the insurgents to their enclaves. They regret that the Tinubu administration has run out of ideas on the best approach to the security challenges plaguing the country.
“He should heed this call to come back and run for the 2027 presidential election for the sake of Nigeria and Nigerians because we (Nigerians) have married two wives since he left office and have concluded that he is the best of the three. Insecurity is one of the major problems bedevilling the country now, and we believe it will be a thing of the past if he becomes president again.
“People may be asking what did he forget in the Presidential Villa but we, members of the National Peace Initiative Group, NPIG think that he forgot a lot and should please come back to complete what he started to liberate Nigerians from the shackles of poverty, lack, disease, hunger among others”, the Director General of the group, Ephraim Bitiyong Danjuma stated in a recent statement in Kaduna.
By Dennis Sami
