House of Reps Minority Caucus Urges Tinubu to Suspend 2027 Election Activities Over Insecurity

The House of Representatives Minority Caucus has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of abandoning governance for activities geared towards the 2027 elections.

At a press conference at the National Assembly on Wednesday, the leader of the caucus, Fred Agbedi, accused the government of overseeing a dangerous cocktail of insecurity, economic hardship and what he described as attempts to weaken democratic opposition through the judiciary while neglecting pressing national issues that need attention.

Agbedi accused the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and the presidency of seeking political calculations for 2027 instead of the burning challenges of the country.

He therefore urged the government to immediately suspend all activities related to the 2027 election and to announce a six-month National Security and Economic Recovery Plan to address insecurity and economic challenges.

“Every life that is Nigerian matters. When the nation bleeds, politics should be put on the back burner. “First, we must secure Nigeria,” Agbedi said.

The caucus was said to have demanded immediate overhauling of the nation’s security architecture, transparent investigation into the abduction and murder of former military spokesperson, General Rabe Abubakar (rtd) and urgent intervention by the Chief Justice of Nigeria to resolve conflicting judicial decisions as it relates to political party registration.

The Minority Caucus vowed to continue to hold the government accountable through legislative means, insisting that opposition parties will not be intimidated or shut out of the democratic process before the next general election.

It called Abubakar’s death a national tragedy and indication of deteriorating security situation in the country, adding that the killing of the retired military officer was a sign of the state’s failure to protect its citizens.

“Agbedi said that a general of the Nigerian Army, who at some point led troops and defended this nation, could be kidnapped along with his wife and later pronounced dead under unclear circumstances is a serious indictment of a failed state.

“President Bola Tinubu must evolve a clear and effective security strategy to tackle banditry, terrorism and kidnapping that continue to pose threats to lives and communities across the country,” Agbedi said.

The lawmakers also expressed concern over continued captivity of schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oyo State and called for an urgent military operation to ensure their release.

“Even now, the school children and their teachers abducted in Oyo State are still in captivity. What did they do wrong? «La scolarisation au Nigeria,» a déclaré Agbedi.

On the political front, the Minority Caucus has condemned the recent judgment of the Federal High Court which directed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to de-register five opposition political parties.

Lawmakers said the ruling could create confusion in the political system and be perceived as an effort to cripple opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections.

Agbedi said the judgment was inconsistent with an earlier decision of the Court of Appeal and failed to take into cognisance the submissions made by INEC on the electoral performance of the parties concerned.

He said: “We see Justice Lifu’s judgment as a well calculated attempt to elbow out legitimate opposition from the 2027 presidency contest.”

But the caucus welcomed the intervention of the Court of Appeal which it said had stayed the implementation of the lower court’s decision.