AREWA DEFENCE LEAGUE UNVEILS KADUNA OCTOBER DECLARATION, CALLS FOR RENEWED SOCIAL CONTRACT IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

AREWA DEFENCE LEAGUE UNVEILS KADUNA OCTOBER DECLARATION, CALLS FOR RENEWED SOCIAL CONTRACT IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

The Arewa Defence League (ADL) has released the Kaduna October Declaration on the Rights of the People of Northern Nigeria, following a high level strategy seminar held at Arewa House, Kaduna. The landmark declaration charts a new path toward what the organization describes as the “Northern Renaissance.”

The declaration is the product of extensive consultations with state coordinators, national directors, subject matter experts, and key stakeholders across all 19 Northern states. According to ADL, it represents a unified, evidence-based assessment of the region’s current realities and its evolving role within Nigeria.

Speaking at the unveiling, Comr. Murtala Abubakar, President of ADL, said Northern Nigeria is facing a “polycrisis” a convergence of overlapping security, economic, and social challenges that threaten the region’s stability and the future of its people.

The ADL’s “State of the States” analysis highlighted five critical areas of concern:

1. Security Breakdown – Widespread insurgency, banditry, kidnappings, and communal clashes have eroded state authority and undermined public safety.

2. Economic Mismanagement – Despite vast human and natural resources, poor policies and corruption have devastated agriculture, stifled businesses, and left millions unemployed.

3. Social Decline – The North records the highest number of out-of-school children, with severe shortages in healthcare and basic public services.

4. Political Marginalization – Policies driven by elite interests have deepened political neglect and under-representation.

5. Erosion of Human Rights – Citizens continue to face insecurity, hunger, and lack of dignity, despite constitutional guarantees.

While the ADL does not explicitly call for secession, the group noted that “all options must remain on the table.” Instead, it urged for a renewed Nigerian social contract, rooted in liberty, equality, and popular sovereignty.

The Kaduna October Declaration outlines key commitments, including:

Upholding the sovereignty of the people of Northern Nigeria as inseparable from the Nigerian federation.

Guaranteeing the right to life, liberty, and security.

Restructuring governance to prioritize security, prosperity, and decentralization.

Ensuring dignity and equality by dismantling poverty and marginalization.

To drive action, ADL announced three immediate next steps:

1. Setting up a Planning Committee to organize a Northern Stakeholders’ Conference.

2. Developing policy documents on politics, economics, and regional alliances.

3. Launching a voter education and mobilization program ahead of the 2027 general elections.

We offer this Declaration as a binding commitment to our people and a constructive contribution to the national conversation, Abubakar said. The era of empty words is over. The time to act is now.

The ADL has extended invitations to the Federal Government, the National Assembly, international partners, civil society, and Nigerians of goodwill to engage with the declaration’s recommendations.

For further information, visit www.arewadefenceleague.org or email info@arewadefenceleague.org.