“I’ll Go to the War Front If I’m President” — Sowore Declares amid Rising Insecurity

Popular human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore has vowed to personally take charge of Nigeria’s security operations if elected president.

The African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate said his leadership would bring a new approach to fighting insecurity across the country.

Sowore spoke on Wednesday while addressing the worsening state of security and the role of the president as Commander-in-Chief.

He said the office of the president must not be ceremonial when lives are being lost daily.

“If I’m the president today, as I’ve always said, the part of the presidency that says you are the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces is something that I’d take very seriously, and that will push me to the war front,” he said.

The former presidential aspirant clarified that he would not fight with weapons but would lead operations directly.
He explained that constant engagement with security chiefs would be his priority.

“There will be front and back of every operation in the country. I’m not saying I’m going to carry a gun, but I want to see my National Security Adviser every morning. I want to see all the army generals. I want to talk to them and motivate them,” Sowore said.

He also promised strict oversight of defence spending and military equipment.

According to him, transparency in procurement would stop waste and corruption.

“I want to ensure that the equipment that we say we have purchased, I want to see them physically. If I can’t see them physically, I want to see them virtually. I want to see that they are being put to use,” he said.

Sowore further stated that competence would guide his choice of security leaders.

He criticised the practice of recycling weak and ageing officials in sensitive positions.

“I want to make sure that all the security chiefs are competent. I would never use an IG of police that’s retired and tired who has nothing else to do. I look for younger, highly motivated, well trained people to start the process of taking the security of the country seriously,” he stated.

He argued that a new leadership style would send a strong signal to criminals.
According to him, insecurity thrives when there is no clear command structure and political will.

“Even when criminals know that you have changed your security architecture, you have changed the mentality and the philosophy, and they are hearing from the Commander-In-Chief of the armed forces in charge, because we don’t have anybody in charge of the Armed Forces as a Commander-In-Chief right now, you will see that things will start changing,” he said.

Sowore linked insecurity to unemployment, poverty and weak social systems.
He said security cannot be achieved without fixing education, jobs and healthcare.

“In addition to that, and I must say this, is that this cannot be divorced from other insecurities. So, there has to be social security. You have to provide employment for young people. You have to make sure that our education system are active and absorbing young people,” he said.

He called for long-term investment in human development and social programmes.

“You have to invest in sports, in health. You have to invest across board, in processes that can engage people, that can bring about life that is suitable for people, so that they can value even life in general,” he added.

Sowore maintained that crime will continue if economic hardship is ignored.
He blamed the absence of industries, functional schools and hospitals for rising violence.

“You cannot have a police, for instance, where every time we are just shooting ourselves, you don’t have employment and you expect this will end,” he said.

He concluded that bad roads, collapsed factories and weak public institutions all contribute to the nation’s insecurity problem, insisting that leadership must change both policy and attitude to restore safety.