Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has identified the politicisation of security challenges as a major obstacle to achieving lasting peace in the North Central region.
He made the assertion on Wednesday at the 2026 North Central Regional Security Summit held at the New Banquet Hall, Government House, Makurdi, Benue State.
The summit, convened by the Federal Ministry of Defence in collaboration with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement, North Central, was themed, “Collaborative Approach to Strengthening Security and Regional Stability.”
The governor said although presentations at the summit had adequately examined several dimensions of insecurity in the region, the role of politics in aggravating the crisis had received insufficient attention.
According to him, sustainable solutions would remain elusive unless political leaders separate governance from partisan politics and work together in the interest of the people.
Sule stressed that mutual respect between political leaders, elders and those in authority was essential to building the trust required for effective collaboration across state boundaries.
He recalled that in 2019, despite political differences, he reached out to the then governor of Benue State to establish a working relationship between Nasarawa and Benue.
He said the cooperation helped to contain security challenges along the two states’ borders until 2023, when the problems resurfaced.
The governor warned that criminal elements often exploit disagreements among political leaders to advance their activities, urging governors and other political leaders in the region to resolve their differences in the interest of peace.
“Until we find a way of separating governance from politics, we will continue to go round in circles,” Sule said, stressing the need for collective action against insecurity.
The host governor, Hyacinth Alia of Benue State, had earlier identified trust as a critical factor in tackling the security challenges confronting the region.
In his keynote address, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, challenged participants to move beyond discussions and produce practical recommendations with clear responsibilities, timelines and measurable outcomes.
The President directed the Minister of Defence to transmit the summit’s resolutions to him and provide regular reports on their implementation.
Tinubu also urged stakeholders to be truthful in their deliberations, including raising difficult issues that government officials might find uncomfortable.
The Minister of Defence and convener of the summit, General Christopher Musa (retd.), said the meeting provided an opportunity to examine the peculiar security realities of the North Central and develop solutions tailored to the region.
Musa called for frank discussions, noting that the armed forces and other security agencies could not resolve the challenges alone.
He added that peace in the North Central would have positive implications beyond the region, while continued insecurity would have consequences for the entire country.
The summit brought together governors, traditional rulers, religious leaders, security agencies, civil society organizations, private-sector representatives, women and youth.
It formed part of the Federal Government’s regional security engagements under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu.
(Channels Tv)
