National Security: El-Rufai Raises Fresh Alarm, "They Are Protecting Their Regime, Not the People"
- Former Kaduna state governor, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, warned that Nigeria’s security focus had shifted from protecting citizens to defending those in power
- The former governor criticised the use of security and justice institutions against political opponents and dissenting voices
- El-Rufai called for a return to a constitution-based, people-centred national security framework
Former Kaduna state governor, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, has raised fresh concerns over Nigeria’s security architecture, warning that the country is drifting from national security to what he described as “regime security”.
In a statement titled “National Security, Justice, and the People’s Wellbeing: Reclaiming the Purpose of Power”, dated February 8, 2026, El-Rufai said security institutions were increasingly being used to protect those in power rather than safeguard the lives, rights and dignity of citizens.
Source: Twitter
The statement released via Facebook on Sunday, February 8, said:
“National security exists so that citizens can live in peace, dignity and without fear. It should not be about protecting those who temporarily occupy power," he said.
El-Rufai: Security meant to protect citizens, not politicians
Referencing Nigeria’s National Security Strategy (2019), the former governor noted that security is defined as “the cornerstone of development and progress in a free society”.
According to him, a state cannot be considered secure if its citizens live in fear or if public institutions are weakened by political partisanship.
“There is a clear difference between protecting the country and protecting a regime,” El-Rufai said.
He stressed that governments are temporary, while the state and its institutions must endure.
He described true national security as the protection of lives and property, constitutional order, territorial integrity and public trust.
Claims institutions increasingly deployed against critics
El-Rufai argued that over Nigeria’s 26 years of democratic rule, security and criminal justice institutions had increasingly been repurposed to preserve political dominance rather than uphold the Constitution.
He expressed concern over what he called the selective deployment of the police, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and even parts of the judiciary against perceived political opponents.
“Treating opposition and criticism as security threats is morally wrong and strategically disastrous,” he said.
He added that targeting associates and family members of critics without credible evidence amounted to collective punishment and eroded professionalism within security agencies.
Warns of loss of trust and deepening insecurity
According to El-Rufai, the misuse of security institutions leads to a collapse of public trust, diverts attention from combating terrorism and violent crime, and personalises state institutions.
He warned that such practices weaken the state, radicalise political competition and discourage economic investment.
“Democracies where security agencies serve incumbents rather than institutions risk collapse, even if elections continue to hold,” he cautioned.
Calls for constitution-based security framework
The former Kaduna governor called for a return to a human-centred and constitutionally grounded security framework, where agencies owe allegiance to the Constitution rather than political office holders.
Source: Twitter
He said justice must remain blind to political affiliation and opposition should be recognised as a legitimate pillar of democratic governance.
“National security belongs to the Nigerian people, not to those occupying public office,” El-Rufai said.
He added that lasting peace and stability would remain elusive until security agencies fully return to their role as guardians of the state and servants of the Constitution.
El-Rufai mentions politicians free of corruption allegations
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Nasir El-Rufai, the immediate past governor of Kaduna, has alleged that the only politicians who are not being accused of corruption are members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and such a scenario must be checked.
The former governor explained that to achieve effective governance in Nigeria, fairness, justice and good governance must be entrenched in the system. He stressed that accountability must not be selective.
Source: Legit.ng
