The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum on Wednesday raised fresh alarm over what it described as deepening political instability and worsening security failures threatening Nigeria’s cohesion.
The group raised the concerns following a high-level emergency meeting in Abuja on Wednesday.
The session, held at PANDEF’s liaison office and chaired by Afenifere leader, His Royal Majesty Oba Oladipo Olaitan, drew senior delegations from the South-West, South-East, South-South and Middle Belt.
In a communique issued at the end of the meeting and read by Oba Olaitan, the forum condemned what it called “a drift towards single-party dominance,” warning that widespread decamping and arm-twisting within the political class were eroding Nigeria’s multiparty foundation.
The leaders also blasted the chaos that rocked the PDP secretariat on Tuesday, describing it as a “barbaric show-of-shame” involving a serving minister and sitting governors.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the emerging tendency among the political class to railroad the country towards single party control of the key democratic structures at the federal and subnational levels.
“SMBLF notes with very serious concern the state of factionalization and internal strives which seem to be occurring amongst some of the main opposition political parties.
“In particular, the very barbaric show-of-shame which occurred at the National Secretariat of the main opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party, on Tuesday, 18th November 2025, led separately by a serving Minister in the cabinet of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, on the one hand, and serving Governors on the other,” the communique read.
They also accused security agencies — particularly the police — of being deployed for partisan ends and criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission for what they termed a worrying laxity under its new leadership ahead of the 2027 elections.
“The meeting condemns in its entirety the deployment and brazen use of security and law enforcement officers, especially men of the Nigeria Police Force, for partisan political activities and disruptions to the nation’s nascent democratic evolution.
“We note with total disapproval the emerging nonchalance of the political parties’ regulator and electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission, now led by Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, in taking timely actions to redirect the emerging political trends ahead of the 2027 general elections,” the forum stated.
The group also painted a grim picture of the security situation, noting continued killings and abductions across Borno, Kebbi, Kaduna, Kwara and Kogi states, including the murder of Brig.-Gen. Uba and the kidnap of schoolgirls in Kebbi.
According to the SMBLF, available reports showed that “Christians and indigenous populations” were the primary victims, while the perpetrators were “predominantly Fulanis and Kanuris from within and outside our borders.”
“SMBLF notes with concern that despite the designation of Nigeria as a country of particular concern by the Trump administration and the attendant implications, insecurity continues to ravage large in the land, including the unfortunate recent killing of Brigadier General Uba and his colleagues in Borno State.
“Even more brazen is the abduction of students from Government Girls Secondary School, Maga, Kebbi State. Other heightened incidents of insecurity were also reported in Kaduna State, including the killing of an abducted ECWA pastor, James Audu Issah; others in Kwara State and Kogi during this period.
“Reports reaching the SMBLF show that those predominantly being killed are Christians and indigenous populations, and those carrying out these killings are predominantly Fulanis and Kanuris from within and outside our borders,” the group stated.
The forum called on the ruling party to check the “rising tendencies of decamping” without consideration for ideology or political persuasion.
They further urged the Federal Government to act decisively, calling for maximum effort to rescue the abducted students and a clear rehabilitation plan for displaced families in the Middle Belt.
“We therefore call on the leadership of the ruling political party to put a check on the rising tendencies of decamping and tilting political alliances without due consideration of ideology and political persuasion.
“SMBLF calls on the Federal Authorities to pull an immediate end to these violent acts of extremists hell bent on conducting ethnic cleansing and genocide within the territorial boundary of Nigeria.
“SMBLF urges the Federal Government to take these developments most seriously and remain open to possible global partners, including the Americans, with sincerity, and not take unilateral actions,” the communique added.
The PUNCH reports that Nigeria continues to grapple with heightened political friction, marked by defections, opposition infighting, and fears of a drift toward one-party dominance ahead of 2027.
At the same time, worsening insecurity — including mass abductions, targeted killings and rural attacks — has deepened public anxiety.
On Monday, 25 schoolgirls were abducted from the dormitory of Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School in Maga on Monday, while a top military officer, Brigadier General Musa Uba was killed by fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province terrorists in Borno, and a Christ Apostolic Church in Kwara State, was attacked by armed bandits.
