KEY POINTS
- El-Buba told Tinubu to rescue abducted children or resign as Commander-in-Chief.
- He spoke at CAN’s Black Sunday, part of a three-day mourning and prayer programme.
- He insisted security must come before politics, elections and personal interests.
The founder of Evangelical Biblical Outreach Ministries International, Prophet Isa El-Buba, has called on President Bola Tinubu to intensify efforts against insecurity, insisting the government must place the protection of lives above politics and elections. He spoke in Jos during the Christian Association of Nigeria’s observance of Black Sunday, which forms part of a three-day national mourning and prayer programme over worsening insecurity.
A blunt challenge to the President
Addressing Tinubu directly, El-Buba said responsibility for national security rests squarely with the office of the Commander-in-Chief. “This country that you are leading, everything stops at your desk. If you will not get our children out of the forest, resign from your position,” he said. Furthermore, he reminded the President that Nigerians entrusted him with leadership and must therefore see results.
According to the cleric, the nation stands at a critical moment, because families across the country live in fear of kidnappers, terrorists and bandits. “Too many innocent lives have been lost, and too many communities have been displaced. The bloodshed must stop,” he said. Moreover, he declared security the immediate priority. “Before politics, before elections and before personal interests, we must secure the lives of Nigerians. No security, no election,” he added.
A call for moral renewal
El-Buba argued that the country’s challenges run deeper than politics and economics. Specifically, he named corruption, greed, injustice, dishonesty and abuse of power as forces that weaken the nation’s foundations, and he said the moment demands national moral renewal.
Consequently, he charged the church to recover its prophetic voice and become the conscience of the nation. “To the church in Nigeria, this is not a time for silence, complacency or compromise,” he said, while extending the appeal to Muslims and all Nigerians who want a peaceful, united country.
In addition, El-Buba urged young people to keep faith and reject violence. “Nigeria still needs your energy, your creativity, your innovation and your patriotism. Refuse to become instruments of violence and division,” he said. Ultimately, he vowed that citizens would keep demanding accountability while rejecting hatred. “We will not keep silent and we will not keep quiet until our nation is recovered,” he declared, calling on Nigerians to embrace justice, peace and national renewal.