Former senatorial candidate of the Action Peoples Party (APP), Chief Onyemelukwe Eusebius Zonyelu, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take decisive action to end terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and other forms of insecurity ravaging Nigeria.
In a statement issued from his hometown of Igboukwu, Chief Onyemelukwe a financial expert and freedom advocate lamented the worsening security situation, describing it as a national crisis that has led to the loss of innocent lives, displacement, and hardship across the country.
Quoting the Holy Qur’an, he emphasized that Islam forbids the killing of innocent people for any reason religious, political, or social. Citing Qur’an 6:151, he noted, “You shall not kill God has made life sacred except in the course of justice.” He urged Muslim leaders and the government to uphold this principle in their efforts to restore peace.
Chief Onyemelukwe also warned President Tinubu not to take lightly recent comments and concerns raised by U.S. President Donald Trump about Christian genocide in Nigeria. According to him, “Americans have facts about what is happening in Nigeria. What is required now is to remedy the situation before it gets out of hand.”
Despite his concerns, the APP chieftain commended President Tinubu for key reforms since assuming office including the removal of fuel subsidy, tax reforms, and the establishment of the South East Development Commission (SEDC).
He further appealed for the restructuring of Nigeria into a true federal system, where each of the six geopolitical zones would govern autonomously while reporting to the center, similar to the arrangement during the First Republic under leaders such as Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, and Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.
“This system will encourage regional growth and reduce vices such as terrorism, kidnapping, and banditry,” Onyemelukwe said.
He also cautioned President Tinubu against allowing internal and external pressures to derail his administration’s progress, drawing parallels with the experience of former military leader, General Ibrahim Babangida, whose achievements, he said, were undermined by similar pressures leading to the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election.
Quoting Surah Al-Ma’idah (Chapter 5, Verse 32), he reaffirmed the sanctity of human life, noting that “the unjust killing of one innocent person is equivalent to killing all of humanity, while saving one life is like saving all of humanity.”
He urged the executive arm and the Armed Forces to support President Tinubu in achieving peace, unity, and progress for the Nigerian people.
“Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria, long live President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and long live all Nigerians,” he concluded.
