Opadokun: Nigeria’s Insecurity Planned, Not Accidental

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin 

Former Secretary General of Afenifere and NADECO chieftain, Pa Ayo Opadokun, has said the spate of insecurity in parts of the country was a planned action by destructive elements and not accidental. 

Opadokun also advised the federal government to embark on effective communication on the tax reforms so as to allow the people of the country to be aware of the advantages of the reforms.

He spoke in Offa, Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State shortly after he was installed as the grand patron of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Offa branch.

Opadokun said bandits and insurgents were being sponsored by a variety of people. 

“Some Nigerians, including agents, who want to destabilise Nigeria, and those who don’t want this government, had taken far reaching decisions over and ahead of Nigeria, long time ago,” he said. 

The elder statesman, who described the prevalent security situation in the country as worrisome, said the Nigerian government had been warned that a situation where non-state actors were using weapon more sophisticated than the nation’s conventional army was too dangerous to fester. 

“But they never listened. I can say this without any fear of contradiction from any quarter. I was at Trancorp Hilton in August 2022, where there was a four-day powerful meeting of the elements comprising some Nigerians and Sahel region structures, planning how to overrun Nigeria. 

“We’re all seeing the outcome now. We all heard what El-Rufai said. So, the current situation is not accidental. It’s a planned thing,” he said. 

He advised that the federal government should not relent in its efforts at fighting insurgency, saying there should be no longer be mercy for bandits and their sponsors. 

Opadokun, who hailed President Bola Tinubu’s boldness over his economic policies, said, “The president is taking a shot at fiscal federalism. Last year, I told you that the tax reforms bill would pass through. The new tax rule is taking a shot at fiscal federalism.

“By January next year, a large crowd of Nigerians will pay no tax at all. Because they don’t need to. What they are earning is not sufficient for them to take care of their welfare and the state will still be harassing them.

“The new tax rule will affect so many institutions like banks. The banks have been reaping us off. People should appreciate what President Tinubu had succeeded in doing thus far. But he has not reached what we desire.

“As NADECO members, our goal is for Nigeria to return to constitutional governance. This unitarised federal government was foisted on us by politicians in uniforms. Nigeria has not produced its own home grown constitution.

“Nigeria, as at December 2025, stands at a critical point in its historical journey. The present administration has embarked on far-reaching structural reforms, particularly in the economic sphere, aimed at addressing long-standing systemic weaknesses.

“These reforms signal a willingness to confront difficult national realities that previous governments often postponed.”