Irabor Calls for Collective Responsibility in Tackling Insecurity at Book Launch

The Former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor (rtd), will address Nigerians on the need for collective responsibility in tackling insecurity as the country approaches the 2027 general elections.

Irabor will deliver the keynote address at the unveiling and public presentation of O’to’Ge: The Legacies of Political Leadership in Nigeria, a book authored by Edwin Akwueh, Chief News Editor of the Voice of Nigeria (VON).

The former CDS believes Nigerians must develop a culture of treating security as a shared responsibility rather than leaving it solely to the government.
The book launch is scheduled for Wednesday, October 28, at the National Merit House, Maitama, Abuja, beginning at 9 a.m.

President Bola Tinubu is expected to attend as the Chief Guest of Honour, while Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Governors Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State, and Uba Sani of Kaduna State will serve as Special Guests of Honour.

Former Director-General of VON, Osita Okechukwu, will chair the event, while the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and the Director-General of VON, Jibrin Baba Ndace, will serve as Chief Hosts and Host, respectively.

Speaking about the book, Akwueh said it was inspired by his coverage of the 2019 elections, when the O’to’Ge mantra mobilised Kwarans to end the 40-year Saraki dynasty in North-Central Nigeria.
He explained that the book examines how similar political currents played out in Anambra State in the South-East and Yobe State in the North-East, as well as nationally through the Obidients Movement and the Emi lo kan mantra.

“In a nutshell, the book which is a journalist’s perspectives to elections in Nigeria, seeks to deepen the understanding that there are different paths through which people can succeed in their political journeys,” he said.
Akwueh noted that elections are not won through emotions alone but also require strategy, a deep understanding of the system, and knowledge of the behavioural patterns of the electorate.

One chapter, titled “The Master Strategist,” examines how Tinubu’s over 30-year political ambition materialised in 2023 through a combination of established and previously unknown strategies. These include the Egbetokun factor, the Muslim-Muslim ticket, the faith factor, the dislodging of the main opposition, and the role played by the PDP G-5 governors.

Another chapter focuses on Anambra State, capturing the roar of “Onyeaghana Nwanneya” in Onitsha, Ekwulobia, and Nnewi. It also examines the political rise of the late Senator Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah between 2014 and 2024, his philanthropy, Ifeanyi Ubah FC, and his “One-More-Shot Agenda.”

The focal chapter returns to Kwara State’s O’to’Ge movement, documenting the champions of the liberation advocacy, including Alhaji Lazeez Ayinla Kolawole Jimoh, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe, and Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

The author said the book represents his contribution to Nigeria’s political history and serves as a guide for younger generations seeking political success without relying on a godfather.