The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives has accused the Federal Government of prioritising political calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections at the expense of governance, security, and national stability.
At a press briefing on Wednesday at the National Assembly, Minority Leader Hon. Fred Agbedi said Nigeria was grappling with worsening insecurity, economic hardship, and alleged attempts to weaken opposition parties through the judicial system.
The lawmakers expressed deep concern over the killing of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar, who reportedly died while in captivity after being abducted alongside his wife in Katsina State. They described the incident as a national tragedy and a stark reflection of the country’s deteriorating security situation.
Agbedi said the killing of the former military officer underscored the failure of the state to protect even high-profile citizens who had once served the nation.
He added that the situation pointed to a broader collapse in security, noting that several senior military personnel had also lost their lives in the ongoing fight against insurgency.
The caucus also raised alarm over continued kidnappings across the country, including the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State, who remain in captivity.
“School children and their teachers abducted in Oyo State are still being held. Their only offence was going to school in Nigeria,” Agbedi said, calling for urgent military action to secure their release.
The lawmakers urged President Bola Tinubu to urgently present a comprehensive security strategy to address banditry, terrorism, and kidnapping, which they said were spreading across multiple regions.
On the political front, the Minority Caucus criticised a recent Federal High Court ruling that ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five opposition political parties.
They warned that the judgment, which they claimed contradicted an earlier Court of Appeal decision, could destabilise the political system and undermine democratic competition ahead of 2027.
Agbedi alleged that the ruling appeared politically motivated and targeted at weakening opposition forces.
“We view Justice Lifu’s judgment as an attempt to sideline legitimate opposition ahead of the 2027 presidential election,” he said.
The caucus, however, noted that the Court of Appeal had intervened to halt the enforcement of the decision, describing the development as reassuring for democratic stability.
The lawmakers further accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Presidency of focusing excessively on electoral politics while ignoring the country’s worsening insecurity and economic challenges.
They called for immediate attention to rising cases of hunger, unemployment, insecurity, and declining public trust in governance.
“The life of every Nigerian matters. Politics must not take precedence over a nation in crisis,” Agbedi added.
Among their key demands, the Minority Caucus called for a complete overhaul of the country’s security architecture, an independent investigation into the abduction and death of General Rabe Abubakar, and urgent judicial review to resolve conflicting court decisions affecting political party registration.
They also urged President Tinubu to suspend political activities related to the 2027 elections and instead adopt a six-month emergency National Security and Economic Recovery Plan.
The caucus pledged continued oversight of government actions, insisting that opposition voices would not be silenced ahead of the next general election.