Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, representing Ondo South and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interparliamentary Affairs, has attributed Nigeria’s persistent security challenges to deep-rooted generational grievances originating from the 1914 amalgamation, rather than the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking at an ongoing Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) parliamentary hearing at the United Nations in New York on February 14, 2026, the senator emphasized that the country’s security problems are historical and structural in nature.
“The security challenges confronting Nigeria today did not start with President Tinubu. They are products of generational grievances that date back to 1914 and were not properly addressed over time,” Ibrahim stated.
He argued that colonial authorities failed to resolve fundamental political and structural tensions before granting independence in 1960.
According to him, even post-independence constitutional arrangements including the Clifford (1922), Richards (1946), Macpherson (1951), and Lyttleton (1954) Constitutions, served mainly as administrative transitions and did little to address core grievances or the “security question.”
Ibrahim pointed to several historical markers of unresolved tensions:
The Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970) following the attempted secession of Biafra
Recurring civil protests since independence
Delayed indigenisation of the military leadership, with British officers remaining in top command positions until as late as 1965 (and the Nigerian Navy under British control until 1964)
Nine military coups between 1966 and 1993, none of which successfully resolved the underlying issues
On current threats, particularly the Boko Haram insurgency and other terrorist groups, the senator stressed that modern terrorism, fueled by ideology, misinformation, surprise tactics, and access to advanced technology cannot be defeated by any single nation.
“Terrorism today is driven by ideology, misinformation, surprise tactics and access to advanced technology. No nation can confront it alone,” he said.
He welcomed continued support from partners such as the United States, Turkey, and China, while warning of the grave danger posed by the potential acquisition of weapons of mass destruction (nuclear, chemical, or biological) by terrorist organisations.
Ibrahim praised President Tinubu’s foreign policy approach, describing it as one of broad cooperation, democratic peace, and constructive global engagement “Nigeria is friendly to all and enemy to none.”
He compared the current strategy to the international coalition-building the United States pursued after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
The senator also revealed that the Nigerian Senate is planning a National Security Summit to directly confront these generational grievances.
He highlighted increased security budgeting, stronger diplomatic outreach, and the recent deployment of approximately 70 ambassadors to key countries as signs of renewed commitment to both domestic stability and international security partnerships under the Tinubu administration.
Senator Ibrahim separately commended Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her diplomatic efforts that he said have helped improve global perceptions of Nigeria, particularly in the United States.
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