Nigeria Remains Sahel’s Lone Surviving Democracy, Must Be Defended at All Costs – NSA Ribadu Declares

By Emmanuel Kwada 

National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu on Thursday delivered a forceful message that Nigeria stands as the only functioning democracy across the entire troubled Sahel region and warned that the federal government will confront anyone attempting to spread terror or destabilise the country with decisive and coordinated force.

Speaking at a high-level forum on preventing violence and conflict in northern Nigeria, jointly organised by the National Peace Committee, The Kukah Centre, and the Office of the National Security Adviser, Ribadu acknowledged the painful economic hardship and persistent insecurity currently gripping the nation but insisted that these difficulties are temporary.

He stressed that many countries from the Sahel through East Africa to South Asia are facing similar or even deeper crises, yet Nigeria alone has managed to preserve a working democratic system.

“We are going through painful times, but this phase will pass,” the NSA told the gathering. “Nigeria remains the only functioning democracy in the entire Sahel, and we must protect that achievement at all costs.”

Ribadu made it clear that the Nigerian state will never compromise on law, order, and the safety of citizens.

He warned that any individual or group that exploits communities, spreads terror, or seeks to undermine national unity will face the full weight of coordinated security action while still respecting human rights obligations.

The National Security Adviser emphasised that most threats to national security actually begin at the community level, which is why traditional rulers, religious leaders, local government authorities, and state governments must take proactive responsibility for early dispute resolution and violence prevention.

When communities are empowered to settle their own conflicts peacefully, he argued, the need to deploy armed forces drops dramatically.

His remarks come at a particularly tense moment for Nigeria’s security establishment. Only days ago, President Bola Tinubu sacked all the nation’s Service Chiefs, a dramatic move that followed exclusive reports by SaharaReporters of a thwarted coup attempt and the secret detention of sixteen senior military officers by the Defence Intelligence Agency.

While the Presidency described the sweeping changes as part of routine efforts to strengthen the national security architecture, sources indicate the reshuffle followed weeks of internal investigations into possible disloyalty among top brass.

The NSA’s strong defence of Nigeria’s democratic credentials also unfolds against the backdrop of continuing widespread insecurity that recently led the United States to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over religious freedom and human rights issues.

With the Sahel region plagued by military coups, jihadist insurgencies, and collapsing governance structures from Mali to Niger, Burkina Faso, and beyond, Ribadu’s declaration underscores the growing official anxiety that Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and largest economy, could become the next domino if its hard-won democracy is not vigorously protected from both internal subversion and external extremist threats.