First Nigerian Astronaut, Chief Owolabi Salis, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and members of the National Assembly to enact a law prohibiting politicians from using thugs and hooligans for political activities.
In a statement, Salis said politicians who require security should rely solely on the police or licensed security companies, which can be held accountable for any criminal actions committed by their personnel.
He noted that in developed democracies across Europe and America, the use of thugs is rare, which contributes to the stability and sanity of their political systems.
The Ikorodu-born explorer, who is also the first Black African and first Black person to visit both the North and South Poles within the same season, urged individuals, civil society groups, and NGOs to pressure the Presidency and the National Assembly to initiate the process of enacting the law, stressing the urgency of such reforms.
Salis blamed the rise in banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, and other crimes on politicians who arm and deploy thugs to intimidate opponents and sow chaos.
He said political thuggery also discourages many eligible voters from participating in elections due to fear for their safety.
According to him, some politicians turn thugs into private armies, equip them with weapons, and fuel them with drugs to make them more violent, only to abandon them afterward. He warned that once abandoned and unemployed, such individuals often resort to criminal activities to survive.
Salis added that political thugs are frequently used to snatch ballot boxes, manipulate election results, and distort figures, undermining the integrity of the electoral process.
He described the criminal use of thugs as “the number one bane of democracy in Nigeria,” arguing that democracy cannot thrive until political violence is eradicated.
He said the climate of violence has discouraged many competent Nigerians at home and abroad from joining politics because of the dangers associated with thuggery and hooliganism.
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Salis lamented that many politicians who should uphold law and order instead act as mentors and sponsors of thugs, miscreants, and bandits, who in turn engage in armed robbery, extortion, land grabbing, and other offences.
He also accused some politicians of sponsoring bandits to destabilise the country and aid foreign economic saboteurs involved in illegal mining.
He warned that those who engage in such acts face spiritual consequences, adding that a society ruled by unjust leaders cannot achieve peace or stability.
Salis, who also leads the Soul Makers Ministry Worldwide, said the shortcomings of mainstream religions like Islam and Christianity in addressing hatred and violence have created gaps.
He advocated Astro-Theology—which focuses on primary spiritual values—and Astro-Democracy, which removes the fear of domination among groups, as pathways to fostering harmony and reducing political violence in Nigeria.