The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives on Wednesday launched a blistering attack on the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accusing it of failing to address worsening insecurity, economic hardship and threats to democratic institutions.
Key Highlights:
- Opposition says Tinubu is focused on 2027 politics instead of governance.
- Lawmakers warn insecurity and kidnappings are worsening.
- They blame economic reforms for increased hardship and inflation.
- They fear opposition parties face threats from court and institutional actions.
- They demand urgent security and economic recovery measures.
The opposition lawmakers alleged that the Federal Government was already focused on political calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections while millions of Nigerians grapple with insecurity, poverty and rising living costs.
Addressing journalists at the National Assembly in Abuja, Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda Agbedi, said Nigeria was passing through one of its most difficult periods since the return to democratic rule in 1999.
According to him, the country was facing a dangerous combination of insecurity, economic distress and growing public disillusionment.
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“Nigeria is bleeding, Nigeria is confused and Nigeria is being deliberately pushed to the brink by a government that has elevated 2027 electioneering above the lives and welfare of citizens,” he said.
Agbedi noted that the caucus decided to address the nation because remaining silent in the face of mounting challenges would amount to complicity.
He argued that nearly three years into the Tinubu administration, Nigerians were yet to witness significant improvements in security and economic conditions despite repeated assurances from government officials.
The caucus particularly expressed concern over the reported abduction and death in captivity of retired Major-General Rabe Abubakar, describing the incident as a grim reflection of the deteriorating security situation across the country.
“That a General of the Nigerian Army, who once commanded troops and defended this nation, could be kidnapped alongside his wife and later declared dead under unclear circumstances is a grave indictment of a failed state. It is a national embarrassment,” Agbedi said.
The lawmakers noted that the incident came amid increasing attacks by bandits, terrorists and other criminal elements across the North-West, North-Central and parts of the South-East.
They lamented that security personnel, traditional rulers and ordinary citizens had continued to fall victim to kidnappings and violent attacks despite ongoing military operations.
“If a General is not safe within the borders of our nation, then who truly is?” Agbedi asked.
The caucus called on President Tinubu, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, to immediately unveil a comprehensive security strategy to tackle the country’s security challenges.
“At a period in our nation’s long-drawn battle with these insurgents, victory was close by, especially with the presence of mercenaries in the frontlines. Today, no one is sure what the strategy, if any, is,” he said.
The opposition lawmakers also demanded improved welfare for security personnel, strengthened intelligence gathering and a comprehensive overhaul of the nation’s security architecture.
They further expressed concern over the continued captivity of schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oyo State, describing the situation as another indication of the government’s inability to guarantee citizens’ safety.
“As we speak, school children and their teachers abducted in Oyo State remain in captivity. Their crime? Going to school in Nigeria,” Agbedi stated.
The caucus urged security agencies to intensify efforts towards securing the immediate release of the victims.
On the judiciary, the lawmakers criticised a recent Federal High Court judgment directing the deregistration of five political parties, arguing that the ruling could undermine democratic pluralism and political participation ahead of future elections.
Agbedi described the judgment as a development capable of creating uncertainty within the political system and weakening opposition parties.
“This judgment, coming only months to the country’s general elections and after a subsisting Appeal Court decision on the same matter, is not intended to serve justice. Instead, it appears to be a deliberate ploy to engender judicial chaos weaponised to destabilise the polity,” he said.
He further alleged that opposition parties were increasingly being confronted with institutional obstacles, including delays in the registration of new political parties and attempts to frustrate emerging political alliances.
“From external manipulations and executive meddlesomeness that kept old political structures polarised, to the attempt to truncate new alliances through institutional bottlenecks, such as the refusal to register new political parties, the whole goal has been to muscle all credible opposition out of the 2027 contest,” he alleged.
While welcoming the intervention of the Court of Appeal in suspending the implementation of the Federal High Court ruling, the caucus urged stakeholders to remain vigilant in defence of democratic values.
The lawmakers also painted a bleak picture of the economy, citing soaring inflation, rising food prices, declining purchasing power and widespread hardship.
They argued that the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira had imposed severe burdens on Nigerians without adequate social safety nets.
“From Sokoto to Enugu, from Borno to Lagos, the story is the same: hunger, killings, kidnappings, collapse of the naira, collapse of hope,” Agbedi said.
The caucus accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Presidency of focusing on political activities rather than governance.
“Yet what preoccupies the ruling party and the Presidency is 2027 endorsement rallies, defections, re-election strategies and town hall meetings to discuss tenure security,” he said.
The opposition lawmakers challenged President Tinubu to suspend political activities linked to the next election cycle and concentrate on governance.
They called for a six-month national security and economic recovery plan, as well as an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the abduction and death of Maj.-Gen. Abubakar.
The caucus also urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria to address controversies arising from conflicting court judgments involving political parties and called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to safeguard democratic competition ahead of the 2027 elections.
Agbedi warned against what he described as efforts to weaken opposition voices through judicial and institutional means.
“The attempt to kill opposition parties through judicial ambush, to ignore mass killings while chasing second term, and to normalise the abduction of children is a declaration of war against Nigerians,” he said.
He maintained that opposition lawmakers would continue to hold the government accountable through legislative means.
“We will not be silent. We will not be intimidated. We will use every legislative instrument to hold this government accountable,” he stated.
The Minority Leader, however, urged Nigerians not to lose faith in democracy, expressing confidence that the electorate would ultimately determine the country’s political future.
“2027 will not be decided in Aso Rock or by compromised courts. It will be decided by you, the people. The opposition parties will stand with you. The opposition will not be muscled out. Nigeria will be rescued,” he said.
The briefing was attended by House Deputy Minority Leader, Abdussamad Dasuki; Minority Whip, Mansur Manu Soro; and leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress caucus in the House, Afam Ogene.
