Opposition lawmakers berate Tinubu over worsening insecurity, hardship

The minority caucus of the House of Representatives on Wednesday delivered a scathing assessment of the state of the nation, accusing the administration of President Bola Tinubu of failing to address worsening insecurity, deepening economic hardship, and growing threats to democratic institutions.

The caucus lamented that while these challenges persist, the government has remained focused on political calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Addressing journalists at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, the Minority Leader, Mr Fred Agbedi, said the country was facing one of its most difficult periods since the return to democratic rule in 1999, citing persistent insecurity, rising poverty and growing public frustration.

“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,” Agbedi declared.

The opposition lawmakers argued that three years into the Tinubu administration, Nigerians had yet to see significant improvements in security and economic conditions despite repeated assurances from government officials.

A major focus of the briefing was the recent death of Maj Gen Rabe Abubakar (retd), who was reportedly abducted alongside his wife in Katsina State before dying in captivity.

The lawmakers described the incident as a tragic reflection of the deteriorating security situation across the country and called for a transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.

“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 added.

The caucus noted that the killing came amid a wave of attacks by bandits, terrorists and criminal gangs across several parts of the country, including the North-West, North-Central and parts of the South-East.

The lawmakers recalled that security personnel, traditional rulers and ordinary citizens had increasingly become targets of kidnappers and armed groups, despite sustained military operations.

“If a General is not safe within the borders of our nation, then who truly is?” Agbedi asked.

He lamented what he described as the vulnerability of community leaders and traditional rulers who have become frequent targets of criminal elements.

“Our security is in the mud. Yet, the political class is busy rehearsing new political dance steps, seemingly unbothered,” he added.

The caucus urged President Tinubu, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, to immediately present a comprehensive security strategy capable of addressing the multifaceted threats confronting the country.

“At a period in our nation’s long-drawn battle with these insurgents, victory was close by, especially with the presence of mercenaries on the frontlines. Today, no one is sure what the strategy, if any, is,” Agbedi stated.

They also demanded improved welfare for security personnel, enhanced intelligence gathering and a complete overhaul of the nation’s security architecture.

The lawmakers expressed concern over the continued captivity of schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oyo State, describing the development as another example of the state’s inability to guarantee the safety of its citizens.

“As we speak, school children and their teachers abducted in Oyo State remain in captivity. Their crime? Going to school in Nigeria,” Agbedi said.

The caucus called for an immediate and coordinated rescue operation by security agencies, warning that prolonged captivity could expose the victims to grave dangers.

The incident, they argued, evoked painful memories of previous mass abductions of students across the country, which have continued to raise concerns about the safety of schools despite government efforts under the Safe Schools Initiative.

The minority caucus also raised concerns over what it described as troubling developments within the judiciary, particularly a Federal High Court judgment ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission to deregister five opposition political parties.

According to Agbedi, the ruling raised serious questions about the health of Nigeria’s democracy and could undermine political pluralism ahead of future elections.

“This judgment, coming only months before 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.

The Bayelsa lawmaker described the judgment as “rascality taken too far,” arguing that it set a dangerous precedent capable of weakening democratic participation and shrinking political space.

He questioned why submissions reportedly made by INEC, indicating that the affected parties had satisfied legal requirements through electoral victories in previous elections, were allegedly disregarded.

The caucus further alleged that opposition parties had increasingly faced institutional barriers, including delays in the registration of new political parties and attempts to frustrate emerging political coalitions.

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,” Agbedi alleged.

While welcoming the intervention of the Court of Appeal in halting the implementation of the Federal High Court judgment, the lawmakers urged democratic stakeholders to remain vigilant.

Turning to the economy, the caucus painted a bleak picture of conditions facing Nigerians, citing inflation, high food prices, a weakening purchasing power and widespread hardship.

The lawmakers argued that the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira, key reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration, had imposed severe burdens on citizens without corresponding social protections.

“From Sokoto to Enugu, from Borno to Lagos, the story is the same: hunger, killings, kidnappings, collapse of the naira, collapse of hope,” Agbedi added.

The opposition lawmakers accused the ruling All Progressives Congress and the presidency of prioritising political activities over 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.

They challenged the President to temporarily suspend political activities linked to the next election cycle and focus squarely on addressing the nation’s pressing challenges.

“President Tinubu must suspend all 2027 political activities and declare a six-month National Security and Economic Recovery Plan,” he said.

As part of its recommendations, the caucus called for an independent and transparent investigation into the abduction and death of Maj Gen Abubakar, immediate efforts to secure the release of the abducted Oyo schoolchildren and urgent reforms within the security sector.

The lawmakers also urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria to intervene in controversies arising from conflicting court judgments relating to political parties, while calling on INEC to protect democratic competition ahead of the 2027 elections.

Agbedi further warned against what he described as attempts to weaken opposition voices through judicial and institutional means.

“The attempt to kill opposition parties through judicial ambush, to ignore mass killings while chasing a second term, and to normalise the abduction of children is a declaration of war against Nigerians,” he said.

He vowed that opposition lawmakers would continue to hold the government accountable through constitutional and legislative means.