A security advocate, Mr Henry Bassey, has faulted a call by Sen. Francis Fadahunsi (PDP Osun) urging President Bola Tinubu to replace the National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, with a retired military officer.
Fadahunsi, in a statement issued earlier in the week, urged the president to appoint a former military officer as NSA and redeploy Ribadu “to another area of national service.”
Reacting on Saturday, Bassey, a former Lagos State Chairman of the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices, described the senator’s position as “narrow, outdated and inconsistent with global best practices.”
He said modern national security required a blend of intelligence, diplomacy, socio-political expertise and inter-agency coordination, not an exclusive focus on military background.
“National security today includes physical, economic, political, cyber, environmental and social dimensions.
“Military force is only one contributor, not the essence of security leadership,” he said.
Bassey argued that global democracies, including the United States, routinely appoint civilians and policy experts as national security advisers, citing examples such as Jake Sullivan and other non-military appointees.
He also noted that Nigeria itself had a history of non-military NSAs, including former Inspectors-General of Police Gambo Jimeta and Aliyu Isma’ila Gwarzo, whose performances he described as “outstanding.”
According to him, Nigeria’s security challenges are largely internal and require an NSA with deep experience in intelligence, law enforcement, inter-agency synergy and an understanding of the root causes of conflict.
He said Ribadu had brought “decades of experience in intelligence, anti-corruption enforcement, and counter-terrorism strategy,” making him “a square peg in a square hole.”
“The NSA is not a combatant role. It requires intellect, integrity, strategic thinking and an ability to coordinate civilian and military structures,” he added.
Bassey warned that insisting only military officers should head the Office of the NSA risked promoting “a dangerous and undemocratic idea”.
He said it could also weaken the professionalism of the armed forces, which he said had evolved to respect constitutional authority regardless of background.
He urged leaders to avoid politicising national security appointments and instead support ongoing reforms in intelligence coordination, operational synergy and community-level conflict prevention.
“President Tinubu is on the right track with Ribadu’s appointment. The results so far only need to be sustained, not disrupted by outdated arguments,” he said.
