The minority caucus of the House of Representatives has accused the federal government of neglecting governance, worsening insecurity and allegedly undermining opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at a press conference at the National Assembly on
Wednesday, Minority Leader Hon. Fred Agbedi said Nigeria was facing a dangerous
combination of insecurity, economic hardship and what he described as attempts
to weaken democratic opposition through the judiciary.
The caucus expressed outrage over the killing of retired
Major General Rabe Abubakar while in captivity after he was reportedly abducted
alongside his wife in Katsina State.
Describing the incident as a national tragedy and evidence
of the country’s deteriorating security situation, Agbedi said the murder of
the retired military officer underscored the inability of the state to protect
its citizens.
“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,” he said.
The caucus noted that the killing came after the deaths of
other senior military officers in the fight against insurgency, warning that
insecurity had spread across several parts of the country.
According to Agbedi, President Bola Tinubu must provide a
clear and effective security strategy to confront banditry, terrorism and
kidnapping, which he said continue to threaten lives and communities
nationwide.
The lawmakers also expressed concern over the continued
captivity of schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oyo State, calling for an
urgent military operation to secure their release.
“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 demanded what it described as a coordinated
rescue effort, insisting that every hour spent in captivity endangered the
future of the affected children.
On the political front, the Minority Caucus criticised a
recent Federal High Court judgment ordering the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) to deregister five opposition political parties.
The lawmakers alleged that the ruling was capable of
creating confusion within the political system and could be interpreted as an
attempt to weaken opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections.
Agbedi argued that the judgment contradicted an existing
Court of Appeal decision and ignored submissions by INEC regarding the
electoral performance of the affected parties.
“We consider Justice Lifu’s judgment as a calculated attempt
to muscle legitimate opposition out of the race for the 2027 presidency,” he
said.
The caucus, however, welcomed the intervention of the Court
of Appeal, which it said had halted the implementation of the lower court’s
decision.
The lawmakers further accused the ruling All Progressives
Congress (APC) and the Presidency of focusing on political calculations for
2027 instead of addressing the country’s pressing challenges.
They pointed to rising insecurity, economic hardship, hunger
and declining public confidence in governance as issues requiring urgent
attention.
“The life of every Nigerian matters. Politics must take the
back seat when the nation bleeds. We must secure Nigeria first,” Agbedi said.
Among its demands, the caucus called for an immediate
overhaul of the nation’s security architecture, a transparent investigation
into the abduction and murder of General Rabe, and urgent intervention by the
Chief Justice of Nigeria to address conflicting judicial decisions relating to
political party registration.
The lawmakers also urged President Tinubu to suspend all
activities linked to the 2027 elections and instead implement a six-month
National Security and Economic Recovery Plan aimed at tackling insecurity and
economic challenges.
The Minority Caucus vowed to continue holding the government
accountable through legislative means, insisting that opposition parties would
not be intimidated or excluded from the democratic process ahead of the next
general election.
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