By Newspot Nigeria News Desk
Abuja, Nigeria — The Forum of South-East Academic Doctors and its South-South bloc have issued a strong press statement calling out President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for excluding the South-East and South-South geopolitical zones from the newly-formed U.S.–Nigeria Security Working Group.
The eight-member committee, inaugurated to deepen security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States, listed key national figures including national security chief Nuhu Ribadu, foreign affairs minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, and inspector general of police Kayode Egbetokun, alongside representatives drawn from the North-East, North-West, North-Central, South-West, and other regions.
The group also features former Jigawa governor Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, digital infrastructure advocate Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and veteran defence leader General Olufemi Oluyede. Members from the North-Central also include security strategist Dr. Bernard Mohammed Doro and regional defence actor Mohammed Mohammed.
In the statement signed by FOSAD President Dr. Stephen Nwala and Secretary General Dr. Uzor Ngoladi, the forum described the omission as “unacceptable, dangerous, and counterproductive,” citing the severe security toll on both zones and stressing the need for the committee to mirror all six geopolitical regions in line with federal character.
FOSAD argued that the South-East and South-South are not only frontline victims of terrorism, kidnapping, herder–farmer clashes, oil-bunkering networks, and ethnic tensions, but also house critical intellectual and institutional assets that should contribute to a national security advisory platform of this scale.
Key demands from the forum include:
• Immediate reconstitution of the Working Group to include representatives from all geopolitical zones
• Strict compliance with Nigeria’s Federal Character principle in all future national security bodies
• Broader engagement of security experts, academics, and regional stakeholders in sensitive international partnerships
FOSAD further warned that the current composition risks deepening mistrust and amplifying perceptions of regional bias at a time Nigeria needs unity and collective intelligence to combat fragmented security threats.
The Forum unequivocally urged President Tinubu to “avoid appointments that could fracture unity or strengthen distrust.”
The Federal Government has yet to publicly respond to the forum’s call, but the statement continues to generate debate across academic and policy circles in Nigeria.
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