“Insurgents exploit poverty, local sympathy, and weak governance. Political will matters, However you also need legitimacy, trust, and credible leadership to unite the public behind the fight”
By Oyewole Adelaja
Insurgents exploit poverty, local sympathy, and weak governance. Political will matters, However you also need legitimacy, trust, and credible leadership to unite the public behind the fight
One day, someone commented on my post that he doesn’t think incompetence is the only reason the government cannot defeat terrorism. He said he thinks that we just don’t have the political will to.
Political will. That shit hit me like mad.
Now, what’s “political will” and why does it have to do with anything?
Political will is the genuine commitment of leaders to take difficult, often unpopular action, especially when that action threatens their own comfort or political alliances.
It’s what separates governments that can’t act from those that simply won’t.
When people say the Nigerian government lacks the political will to fight insurgency, they’re not saying we lack soldiers or money. They’re saying we have all the power and resources we need, but not the determination to use them honestly, consistently, or courageously.
And you know who actually has the political will? The insurgents.
Think about it. They have less money (than our national security budget), fewer weapons, and no luxury of comfort. They live in rough settlements, fight guerrilla-style, and still manage to organize, communicate, and strike targets effectively. That’s not about resources; that’s about focus, cohesion, and commitment to a cause….however twisted that cause might be.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government, with a defense budget that could drown them ten times over, is still staggering. The same government that can find 5.5 billion Naira for a presidential yacht somehow can’t find enough efficiency, discipline, or coordination to end a war happening in its own backyard. That’s not poverty, that’s complacency.
A president who has the will to end terrorism would have to make hard, controversial decisions. Uproot corrupt networks in the military, confront financiers of terror (many of whom are politically connected), and accept short-term political losses for long-term national security.
That’s what willpower in governance actually looks like….not speeches, not budget allocations, but the willingness to offend your own allies for the sake of the country.
That negotiation nonsense? That pardoning of terrorists nonsense? Please please.
I know fighting terrorism isn’t as easy as “try harder.” It’s a complex, asymmetrical war. Insurgents exploit poverty, local sympathy, and weak governance. So yes, it’s not only political will that matters. You also need legitimacy, trust, and credible leadership to unite the public behind the fight.
Still, that’s precisely where Nigeria keeps failing. The insurgents’ greatest weapon isn’t their gun. It’s the government’s lack of moral authority. You can’t defeat an enemy that’s fighting for its beliefs when your own side doesn’t seem to believe in anything beyond survival and profit.
The president will need to make a lot of difficult, controversial decisions that could offend his political sweethearts. But he’s the supposed Messi of Nigerian politics. Politics doesn’t only exist for you to seize power. Playing politics also exists for you to effect positive change
