Issues of fuel subsidy, state police and elections dominated discussions at the 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Monday, leading to a clash amongst presidential candidates in the 2027 general elections.
Presidential candidates-Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Omoyele Sowore of African Action Congress, Donald Duke of People’s Redemption Party and Adewale Adebayo of Social Democratic Party- alongside the vice presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Rotimi Amaechi, disagreed over the best approach to tackling insecurity, poverty, policing, fuel subsidy and other national challenges.
The candidates, who participated in a presidential debate at the conference themed, “Beyond Limits: Redefining the Practice of Law,” outlined contrasting positions on security, economic management, policing, fuel subsidy and the performance of previous governments.
This is as the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, defended the Federal Government reforms, including state police.
The debate formed part of activities at the NBA’s 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt and provided a platform for the presidential candidates to present their positions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Obi said Nigeria’s insecurity could not be tackled without addressing poverty, unemployment, corruption and weaknesses in the country’s security architecture.
The former Anambra State governor called for a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s security strategy, advocating what he described as a “human security” approach.
He said, “You need to do a comprehensive overhaul or study of our strategy to a security problem today.
You need to audit the architecture that is driving that strategy and look at security from a human security perspective.”
According to Obi, reducing poverty and joblessness would help reduce criminality, while corruption and the diversion of public resources must also be confronted.
“The more you pull people out of poverty, the more you reduce insecurity. It is a known fact everywhere,” he said.
He also called for better coordination among security agencies, improved staffing and welfare for personnel, as well as support for local vigilantes and communities.
Obi identified intelligence gathering as one of the major weaknesses in Nigeria’s security system.
“As it were, the intelligence aspect of our security is very, very weak,” he said.
He further argued that Nigeria needed to move from a consumption-based economy to a production-driven one, particularly through investment in agriculture, to create jobs and reduce poverty.
“Nigeria is not a poor country. Nigeria is poor because those of us who are leaders are stealing the wealth of Nigeria and driving Nigeria into poverty,” he said.
On fuel subsidy, Sowore took a different position, vowing not to remove it if elected.
He argued that the removal of petrol subsidy had benefited political elites and governors rather than ordinary Nigerians.
“The question about subsidy is, who are you subsidising? You are subsidising the elites. You are subsidising the governors,” Sowore said.
He accused successive administrations of repeatedly removing subsidy while promising Nigerians that the economy would improve.
“I will not remove subsidy because the poor in Nigeria need to be subsidised instead of the rich,” he said.
Sowore also criticised the records of former political officeholders, including Amaechi and Obi, challenging them to account for their performance while in government.
He accused Amaechi of failing to deliver meaningful infrastructure during his tenure as Rivers governor and criticised Obi’s administration in Anambra over alleged prolonged strikes by lecturers and doctors.
“You may like him as a person, but he did not perform as a governor. That is the truth,” Sowore said of Obi.
On insecurity, Sowore proposed a three-stage strategy beginning with what he described as stopping the “bleeding” through improved funding, equipment and welfare for security agencies.
He advocated an internationally standardised security system and said he would deploy technology, including drones, to strengthen national security.
Sowore also proposed a N500,000 minimum wage, arguing that security personnel and other workers should be adequately remunerated.
He said the second stage of his security plan would involve effective enforcement of laws and prosecution of those responsible for insecurity
The AAC candidate linked insecurity to inequality, arguing that some young Nigerians were turning to kidnapping because of the prospect of making quick money.
He pledged free education, one million public homes, job creation and a transition from a fossil-fuel-dependent economy to a green economy.
Sowore further described terrorism in Nigeria as an “industry” and an “industrial complex,” arguing that insecurity could not be effectively tackled without addressing the alleged involvement of influential political figures.
Amaechi countered that tackling economic hardship and strengthening intelligence gathering were central to reducing insecurity.
He said any government seeking to tackle crime must create an economy that puts money in the pockets of Nigerians.
“If today lawyers can’t pay their salaries, if you’re not careful, some lawyers will become criminals because crime pays,” Amaechi said.
The former Minister of Transportation said the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari had strengthened regional intelligence cooperation by working with neighbouring countries, including Chad and the Benin Republic, to identify criminals.
Amaechi also drew from his experience as governor, saying security intelligence had enabled him to know the movements and activities of people within Rivers State.
“When I was governor, I knew where everybody was. I knew who was doing what. I knew who entered a hotel and came out of a hotel, and where he went to. And that information was passed to me every day. And I knew what to do,” he said.
He said that as Rivers State governor, he built over 500 primary schools, over 300 centres, over 200 roads and crimes were drastically reduced, hinting that he fought insecurity to a standstill with adequate intelligence gathering as a sitting governor.
Amaechi hinted that he would support community police over state police, because community policing will primarily detect real issues, pointing out that the Atiku-Amaechi ticket, when elected, will ensure political appointments are evenly spread across the country.
Amaechi defended his record in government after Sowore criticised his performance as governor and minister.
Pointing to the Lagos-Ibadan and Abuja-Kaduna railway projects, he asked Nigerians to assess political candidates based on their records.
Speaking on a coalition for a single opposition presidential candidate to emerge, Amaechi said, “A coalition should be based on performance. And I say to you we should do a referendum. We have all served in government. Atiku has served in government, Peter Obi has served in government, I have served in government.