2027: Sokoto Senator declines re-election bid, says NASS lacks powers to tackle insecurity

The Senator representing Sokoto East Senatorial District, Ibrahim Lamido, has explained his decision not to seek re election to the National Assembly, declaring that the legislative office lacks the executive authority required to effectively confront the worsening insecurity affecting communities in his constituency.

Speaking in an interview with with journalists over the week, Lamido said his decision to pursue the governorship position was informed by growing concerns over persistent security challenges in parts of Sokoto East Senatorial District.

The lawmaker noted that residents across the district had repeatedly urged him to seek executive office, insisting that only a governor possesses the constitutional powers, operational control and access to resources necessary to address insecurity and restore stability in affected communities.

“I wanted to contest for governor because of the insecurity affecting my people. As a senator, I do not have the executive powers needed to address the situation effectively,” Lamido said.

His remarks come amid increasing national debate over the role of political leadership and governance structures in tackling insecurity across several parts of northern Nigeria, where banditry, kidnappings and communal attacks continue to pose serious threats to lives and livelihoods.

Lamido, who sought the governorship ticket of the African Democratic Congress ahead of the 2027 elections, eventually lost the party’s consensus arrangement to former Deputy Governor of Sokoto State, Mannir Dan’iya.

Despite losing the ticket, the senator reaffirmed his commitment to the party and pledged to work for the success of its candidate during the 2027 general elections.

“I will remain in the ADC and support the candidate who emerged. Politics, for me, is not about personal gain but about serving my people,” he stated.

Lamido further disclosed that all aspirants who participated in the party’s governorship race had accepted the outcome of the consensus process in the interest of unity and internal cohesion within the party.

“We were ten aspirants, and the remaining nine have all accepted the decision reached by the party,” he added.

Many believed that, the senator’s position reflects a broader concern among lawmakers across the country over the limitations of legislative intervention in addressing Nigeria’s deepening security crisis, particularly in states battling armed violence and rural banditry.