Grassroots Failure Fuelling Insecurity, Says Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu has tied a significant share of Nigeria’s insecurity to the breakdown of governance at the local level, describing functional council administration as central to national development and stability.
The president made the remarks in his Democracy Day address to the nation on Friday, June 12, 2026, marking 27 unbroken years of civilian rule since May 29, 1999, the longest stretch in the country’s history.
Tinubu said his administration had pursued financial autonomy for the country’s 774 local government councils so that democracy delivers measurable benefits to citizens at the grassroots. “Recognising that democracy is undermined when people do not feel its impact, my administration has sought financial autonomy for our 774 local councils,” he said.
He identified weak council administration as a core obstacle to national progress. “A fundamental challenge to our nation’s advancement has been ineffective local government administration. The insecurity we are addressing is partly due to the collapse of grassroots governance,” the president stated.
The push for council autonomy follows the July 2024 Supreme Court ruling that affirmed financial independence for Nigeria’s local governments, directing that their statutory allocations be paid directly rather than routed through state governments. The reform has remained a recurring theme of the administration’s governance agenda.
Tinubu framed the Renewed Hope Agenda as a programme meant to spread the benefits of governance across the population. “The Renewed Hope Agenda is about ensuring that all Nigerians benefit from governance,” he said, adding that development would stay incomplete unless communities are empowered to drive their own growth.
The president cast the moment as part of a generational chain of national obligation. “The generation of our founding fathers secured independence. The generation of June 12 secured democracy. Our generation must secure prosperity,” he said.
He closed with an appeal for national cohesion. “Let us move forward together, rejecting division, cynicism and despair; embracing unity, hope and confidence,” Tinubu said. “Let us build a Nigeria united by a common purpose, strengthened by diversity, where justice is accessible, liberty is secure and opportunity is abundant.”
The address came days ahead of governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States, with the president urging electoral and security agencies to ensure peaceful and credible polls.