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A founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Emma Nnadi, has launched a scathing attack on his own party, warning that any attempt to embark on a 2027 election campaign without first confronting Nigeria’s worsening insecurity would amount to a dangerous display of insensitivity and political arrogance.

In an open letter addressed to APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, Nnadi accused the ruling party of appearing detached from the suffering of Nigerians and cautioned that citizens would reject politicians who prioritize power over the protection of lives.

“The cries of widows, the silence of shuttered farms, and the tears of children in IDP camps and bushes are louder than any campaign slogan,” he wrote, insisting that loyalty to the APC must not come at the expense of truth and conscience.

The APC stalwart painted a grim picture of the country’s security situation, citing persistent banditry, kidnappings and insurgency across states including Benue, Zamfara, Kaduna, Plateau, Oyo and parts of Imo State.

He warned that lavish political rallies and celebratory campaign events while communities mourn victims of violence could backfire spectacularly on the party.

“A convoy of sirens and a stage of dancing while mothers mourn will not win hearts,” Nnadi declared, urging the APC to adopt a “Security First, Politics Second” doctrine as the foundation of its 2027 campaign strategy.

In one of the strongest sections of the letter, Nnadi described the optics of campaign celebrations amid widespread insecurity as “political suicide” and called for an immediate shift from large rallies to community-based town hall meetings and digital engagement platforms.

He argued that politicians must stop behaving like seasonal vote-seekers and instead become active participants in community security efforts.

“The question on every lip is not ‘What will you do if elected?’ but ‘What are you doing for my safety today?’” he said.

Nnadi proposed that every APC aspirant should sponsor tangible security initiatives, including support for vigilance groups, installation of solar streetlights, intelligence-sharing with security agencies and trauma counselling for victims of violence.

The Imo-born politician also condemned what he described as reckless communication by politicians and party members, warning that inflammatory statements, unverified security claims and social media propaganda were deepening national divisions and worsening public anxiety.

He urged the APC leadership to establish a strict “Verification Before Voice” policy and sanction members who spread misinformation or exploit insecurity for political gain.

“Our words must heal, not hurt. Our tone must calm a nation, not provoke it,” he stated.

Beyond campaign strategy, Nnadi demanded that the APC place victims of insecurity at the centre of its political message through visits to internally displaced persons camps, scholarships for children of fallen security personnel and economic support for devastated farming communities.

He further called for a comprehensive security protocol for party candidates and campaign officials, noting that several politicians and their aides have themselves become targets of kidnappers and criminal gangs.

Seeking to distinguish the APC from opposition parties ahead of the 2027 race, Nnadi proposed the publication of an “APC Security Compact 2027” built around five key commitments: community policing reforms, farmland protection, stronger border security, technology-driven surveillance and swift justice for victims.

He also recommended that the party observe a nationwide day of mourning and prayer before launching its campaigns, dedicate part of campaign budgets to humanitarian relief in conflict-ridden communities, establish a peace and reconciliation desk at the national secretariat, and compel candidates to sign public security performance pledges.

But perhaps the most explosive aspect of the letter was his direct appeal to President Bola Tinubu.

Nnadi urged the APC leadership to advise the President to urgently “reconsider, restrategize, and restructure” Nigeria’s security architecture, declaring that the current approach was failing.

“The current approach is bleeding,” he wrote. “Many of us cannot sleep with peace of conscience. Each time we go before God genuinely, we feel we have not spoken the hard truth.”

He warned that history would judge political leaders harshly if they remained silent while Nigerians continued to die.

“Our silence in the face of bloodshed will be judged by history,” he said.

Nnadi concluded by stressing that his intervention was motivated not by hostility toward the APC but by concern for both the party and the nation, insisting that electoral victory would mean little if insecurity continued unchecked.

“I want the APC to win, but more importantly, I want Nigeria to live,” he declared. “The future will not judge us by the size of our rallies or our victories, but by the depth of our humanity.”