The minority caucus of the House of Representatives has accused President Bola Tinubu of neglecting governance, worsening insecurity, and allegedly undermining opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Minority Leader Hon. Fred Agbedi told a press conference at the National Assembly on Wednesday that Nigeria was confronting a hazardous combination of insecurity, economic hardship, and what he described as measures to destroy democratic opposition via the judiciary.
The caucus was outraged by the death of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar while in captivity after he was purportedly kidnapped with his wife in Katsina State.
Agbedi described the occurrence as a national tragedy and evidence of the country’s deteriorating security situation, saying the murder of the retired military commander demonstrated the state’s incapacity to safeguard 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 observed that the killing occurred following the deaths of other prominent military officers in the struggle against insurgency, indicating that insecurity had spread throughout the country.
According to Agbedi, Tinubu must provide an effective security strategy to confront banditry, terrorism, and kidnapping, which he said continue to threaten lives and communities nationwide.
The lawmakers also voiced worry about the prolonged imprisonment of pupils and teachers kidnapped in Oyo State, urging an immediate military intervention to ensure 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 requested a concerted rescue effort, claiming that every hour spent in captivity harmed the children’s future.
Speaking on the political front, the Minority Caucus criticized a recent Federal High Court decision that directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five opposition political groups.
The lawmakers claimed that the verdict had the potential to cause confusion in the political system and may be regarded as an attempt to weaken opposition parties ahead of the 2027 election.
Agbedi contended that the verdict contradicted an existing Court of Appeal decision and overlooked INEC evidence on the impacted parties’ electoral performance.
“We consider Justice Lifu’s judgment a calculated attempt to muscle legitimate opposition out of the race for the 2027 presidency,” he said.
However, the caucus applauded the Court of Appeal’s intervention, which it claimed had blocked the implementation of the lower court’s judgment.
The legislators also accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the president of focusing on political calculations for 2027 rather than solving the country’s immediate issues.
They cited increased insecurity, economic hardship, hunger, and eroding public trust in governance as challenges that needed immediate addressing.
“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 demanded an immediate restructuring of the country’s security architecture, a transparent investigation into General Rabe’s abduction and murder, and immediate intervention by Nigeria’s chief justice to address conflicting judicial decisions regarding political party registration.
The lawmakers also urged Tinubu to halt all actions related to the 2027 elections and instead create a six-month National Security and Economic Recovery Plan to address insecurity and economic concerns.
The minority caucus promised to continue holding the administration accountable through legislative means and that opposition parties would not be intimidated or removed from the democratic process ahead of the next general election.
