As Nigeria charts its uncertain but hopeful course through deepening democratic engagement, the leadership of its federating units plays an increasingly vital role. For the South-East, a region marked by resilience, innovation, and immense human capital, the expectations are even higher. Sadly, a critical examination of the current performance of state governors in this geo-political zone reveals uneven delivery, especially in areas of security, economic cohesion, and long-term strategic vision.
The performance of South-East governors in Nigeria’s democratic landscape presents a mixed bag of commendable strides and glaring shortcomings. While some have demonstrated visionary leadership and embraced their mandates with notable fervour others have struggled to meet the expectations of their constituents, particularly in the critical area of security. The visible infrastructural strides in Abia under Gov. Alex Otti and the digital surveillance initiative introduced in Enugu by Gov. Peter Mbah are commendable and worthy of emulation.
However, good governance is not episodic. It must be holistic, sustained, and responsive to the pressing challenges of the people. Governors who shy away from firm security strategies, responsive infrastructure renewal, and inclusive policy consultations are failing a region that has given so much to this country. This is not just disappointing, it is dangerous.
Most importantly regarding security is that silence is no longer an option as insecurity is no longer a creeping threat in the South-East, it is an active, mutating crisis. States such as Imo and Anambra have borne the brunt of a volatile mix of secessionist agitation, criminal opportunism, and state response that often lacks both intelligence and community engagement. The recent coordinated attacks in Imo State in May 2025, which claimed the lives of several civilians and security personnel, lay bare the consequences of reactive rather than proactive governance. It is unconscionable that some Governors still treat security as a “federal problem” while communities are pillaged and youth are radicalized. We demand better!
South-East governors must reactivate a joint security and development forum focused on intelligence-sharing, border management, and early conflict detection through surveillance technology and ultimately, implementing the Owerri Security and Economic Summit blueprint, which remains largely unexecuted. There is also the need for a unified front in the National Assembly to move the needle on constitutional reform to allow for state police. The escalating insecurity across Nigeria has exposed the limitations of our unitary policing framework. Nowhere is this more visible than in the South-East where non-state actors often outmanoeuvre overstretched federal forces.
The current exclusive control of policing by the federal government is both administratively rigid and practically unsustainable. Section 214 of the 1999 Constitution bars state legislatures from enacting laws for state-based law enforcement, a clause now wholly out of step with Nigeria’s security realities. State police is not a call for fragmentation, a restructured security architecture is not merely a policy shift, it is a matter of survival.
We urge South-East governors to understand that performance ratings in a democracy are earned not by titles or political alignment but by tangible, measurable impact in the lives of citizens. We commend those who have made bold moves in governance and urge the rest to abandon inertia for innovation. A secure, united and prosperous South-East is not only possible, it is overdue.
History is watching and posterity is not easily misled.
- Chidi Udekwe, ESQ, President, Otu Oka-Iwu, Abuja
