Did Tinubu Just Confirm Ribadu’s Demotion?

President Bola Tinubu wants a unified national framework to strengthen coordination among Nigeria’s military, intelligence, and security agencies. According to presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, this was the crux of a presidential directive given at Wednesday’s FEC meeting.

The president ordered the immediate preparation of a comprehensive National Threat Assessment and a rolling five-year Strategic Defence Operations Plan to confront Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.

But the directive didn’t just touch on assessment, policy, and strategy, maybe the most potent message it sent was about who leads the government’s national security team.

It was a question left unanswered when President Tinubu appointed Major General Adeyinka Famadewa as Special Adviser on Homeland Security. Normally, homeland security would represent what in many countries is internal affairs and the home office in the UK. But with the inclusion of the armed forces and developing a defence strategy in this new assignment, a clearer picture is emerging of Adeyinka Famadewa’s role and the scope of his office.

Under last week’s presidential directive, the task for the defence plan was handed to Famadewa, “to coordinate the high-level committee responsible for drafting the plan and provide secretariat support.”

Everyone else within the security and intelligence establishment, from Nuhu Ribadu to the Defence Minister, Service Chiefs, and the DGs of the SSS and NIA will effectively report to Famadewa. This wasn’t explicitly spelled out. But there is no denying that it is implied.

It is possible the presidency is unhappy with the level of progress being made in the diplomatic engagement between Nigeria and the United States of America, or at the very least, is uncomfortable being under the gaze of the US.

The fact is, after every engagement or every time National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu visits Washington, the Tinubu presidency drops a hammer. Could the timing be a simple coincidence?

There have been two sessions of the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group, which was set up after US President Donald Trump designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern.

The first meeting of the group took place in Abuja on January 22, 2026;with US Under Secretary for Political Affairs, Allison Hooker, leading a delegation of eight ministries.

And in early May 2026, Ribadu led his own delegation to the US to review commitments of the Joint Working Group, meeting US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Allison Hooker.

Days later, President Bola Tinubu named Famadewa as his Special Adviser on Homeland Security. The second session of the working group was held just over a week ago.

A few days later, Famadewa was tasked with drafting the country’s defence plan with the entire security structure and the Secretary of the Government of the Federation ordered to cooperate with the adviser of homeland security, so that there is no confusion.