Security analyst Bulama Bukarti has cautioned that Nigeria’s persistent security challenges cannot be resolved by merely reshuffling or rotating military leadership without implementing deep structural reforms.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics program, Bukarti made the remarks in response to President Bola Tinubu’s recent reorganization of the nation’s service chiefs. He acknowledged that the newly appointed military leaders possess impressive credentials and professional experience, but stressed that competence alone will not address the root causes of insecurity across the country.
“All of the new service chiefs are eminently qualified when you look at their background in the military and their paper qualifications,” Bukarti noted. “However, we have been here many times before. The problem is that whenever leadership is renewed without meaningful reform, it amounts to nothing more than rotation. Rotation alone will not solve Nigeria’s national security problem.”
Bukarti emphasized that what the armed forces need most is innovation and a comprehensive overhaul of the security architecture. “It’s not about their qualifications on paper; it is about their initiative,” he said. “Do they have the courage and creativity to reform the Nigerian security system?”
President Tinubu, in a major military shake-up announced on Friday, appointed General Olufemi Oluyede as the new Chief of Defence Staff, succeeding General Christopher Musa. The President also named Major-General W. Shaibu as Chief of Army Staff, Air Vice Marshal S.K. Aneke as Chief of Air Staff, and Rear Admiral I. Abbas as Chief of Naval Staff. Major-General E.A.P. Undiendeye retained his position as Chief of Defence Intelligence.
According to a statement issued by Sunday Dare, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, the new appointees are expected to “justify the confidence reposed in them to further enhance professionalism, vigilance, and comradeship.” All appointments take immediate effect.
Bukarti’s remarks add to ongoing public debate over whether leadership changes within the armed forces are sufficient to reverse Nigeria’s long-standing battles against terrorism, banditry, and other violent crimes. He insists that without reform-driven leadership, such changes risk becoming symbolic gestures rather than lasting solutions to the country’s security crisis.
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