ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has accused the Federal Government of focusing on political calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections while neglecting governance, worsening insecurity and weakening democratic institutions.
Addressing journalists at the National Assembly on Wednesday, Minority Leader Hon. Fred Agbedi said Nigeria was grappling with a dangerous mix of insecurity, economic hardship and what he described as efforts to undermine opposition parties through the judicial process.
The caucus expressed outrage over the death of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar, who was reportedly killed while in captivity after being abducted alongside his wife in Katsina State.
Describing the incident as a national tragedy and a reflection of the country’s deteriorating security situation, Agbedi said the killing highlighted the state’s inability to guarantee the safety of 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 lawmakers noted that the incident followed the deaths of several senior military officers in the fight against insurgency and warned that insecurity had continued to spread across different parts of the country.
Agbedi urged President Bola Tinubu to present a clear and effective strategy to combat banditry, terrorism and kidnapping, which he said remained major threats to lives and livelihoods nationwide.
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The caucus also expressed concern over the continued captivity of schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oyo State, calling for urgent action to secure their freedom.
“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 lawmakers stressed that every hour spent in captivity placed the lives and future of the affected children at greater risk and demanded a coordinated rescue operation.
On the political front, the caucus criticised a recent Federal High Court judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five opposition political parties.
According to the lawmakers, the ruling could create uncertainty within the political system and may be viewed as an attempt to weaken opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections.
Agbedi argued that the judgment contradicted an earlier Court of Appeal decision and disregarded submissions made 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 suspended the implementation of the lower court’s ruling.
The lawmakers further accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Presidency of concentrating on electoral strategies for 2027 instead of addressing pressing national challenges.
They cited worsening insecurity, economic hardship, hunger and declining public confidence in government as issues requiring immediate 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 death of General Rabe, and urgent intervention by the Chief Justice of Nigeria to resolve conflicting court decisions concerning political party registration.
The lawmakers also urged President Tinubu to suspend all activities related to the 2027 elections and instead implement a six-month National Security and Economic Recovery Plan focused on addressing insecurity and economic difficulties across the country.
The Minority Caucus vowed to continue holding the government accountable through legislative mechanisms, insisting that opposition parties would not be intimidated or pushed out of Nigeria’s democratic process ahead of the next general election.