The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of prioritising political calculations over governance, citing worsening insecurity, economic hardship, and what it described as attempts to weaken opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Addressing journalists on Wednesday in Abuja, the caucus led by the Minority Leader of the House, Fred Agbedi (PDP, Bayelsa), said Nigeria was facing a combination of security, economic and democratic challenges that required urgent attention from the federal government.
The caucus expressed concern about the recent killing of a retired major general, Rabe Abubakar, while in captivity, the continued detention of abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State, and what it termed conflicting judicial pronouncements on the status of some political parties.
Insecurity
The opposition lawmakers devoted a significant part of the briefing to the security crisis across the country, describing the murder of Mr Abubakar as evidence of the deteriorating state of security.
The retired army officer was abducted alongside his wife in Katsina State before news later emerged that he had died in captivity, while his wife was rescued.
According to the caucus, the circumstances surrounding the killing raise troubling questions about the ability of the government to protect citizens, including high-profile individuals who once served in critical national positions.
Mr Agbedi argued that the killing of a retired general who had previously commanded troops in defence of the country underscores the vulnerability of ordinary Nigerians to criminal violence.
“If a general is not safe within the borders of our nation, then who truly is?” he said.
Agbedi also recalled the deaths of serving military commanders and senior officers in recent years during operations against insurgents and bandits, noting that such incidents had become increasingly frequent despite repeated assurances by the government that security challenges were being addressed.
He lamented that traditional rulers across several parts of the country had also become targets of kidnappers and armed groups, citing a pattern of abductions and killings involving monarchs and community leaders.
The Caucus leader maintained that insecurity had expanded beyond the North-east and North-west to other regions of the country, with incidents of banditry, kidnapping and violent attacks increasingly reported in states previously considered relatively safe.
The legislator said the federal government must urgently articulate a clear security strategy and strengthen intelligence gathering, troop welfare and operational coordination to reverse the trend.
While acknowledging previous military gains against insurgents, he argued that the current approach lacked direction and had allowed criminal groups to regroup and spread across wider areas of the country.
“Our security is in the mud. Yet, the political class is busy rehearsing new political dance steps, seemingly unbothered,” he stated.
Abducted Oyo pupils
The caucus also drew attention to the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State, describing the development as another reminder of the growing threat to education and public safety.
Kidnappings involving students have become a recurring feature of Nigeria’s security crisis in recent years, particularly following high-profile mass abductions from schools in states such as Kaduna, Niger, Zamfara and Katsina.
Mr Agbedi said the continued captivity of the victims reflected a dangerous trend in which criminal groups increasingly target educational institutions and vulnerable communities.
“Can we pause for a moment and imagine the gory conditions of those innocent children and others still in captivity in other parts of the country, in the cold hands of bloodthirsty beasts,” he stressed.
He argued that every day the children remain in captivity represents a setback for their education, psychological well-being and prospects.
“This is, indeed, the new normal under this administration: mass abductions without consequences, terrorists dictating terms, and a government that issues statements instead of results,” he added.
He therefore called for an urgent rescue operation to secure the release of the victims and prevent further attacks on schools.
Party deregistration
On the political front, the Minority Caucus criticised a recent judgement of the Federal High Court which ordered the deregistration of five political parties.
The controversy stems from legal disputes over the status of some registered political parties and whether they met constitutional and electoral requirements to retain their registration.
Mr Agbedi argued that the court ruling contradicted existing appellate decisions and ignored submissions by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that the affected parties had previously won elective positions and therefore satisfied conditions required under the law.
According to him, the judgement risked creating uncertainty within the political system and could undermine democratic participation if allowed to stand.
He alleged that recent developments involving party registration, coalition efforts and the regulatory framework governing political parties suggested attempts to narrow the political space ahead of the next general election.
“It appears to be a deliberate ploy to engender judicial chaos, weaponised to destabilise the polity. For us as a Caucus, this is rascality taken too far and a danger to participatory democracy.
“We wonder, for instance, whether it is by mere happenstance that the convener and alter ego of the plaintiffs in this matter is someone holed up in the sanctuary of the presidential villa as an aide to President Tinubu.
“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, and strict guidelines by the electoral umpire, the whole goal has been: muscle all credible opposition out of the 2027 contest,” he added.
The opposition leader further urged the judiciary to avoid actions that could create confusion in the electoral process and called on INEC to remain impartial.
He also appealed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria to ensure consistency in judicial decisions relating to electoral and political matters.
Economic hardship
Beyond security and politics, the caucus painted a bleak picture of the country’s economic situation, saying Nigerians across various regions were grappling with rising living costs and declining purchasing power.
Since the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira, inflationary pressures have significantly increased the cost of transportation, food, and other necessities.
Although the federal government has defended the reforms as necessary steps toward long-term economic stability, critics have argued that many Nigerians continue to bear the immediate burden of the policies.
The opposition legislators said citizens were struggling with widespread hardship while political actors appeared increasingly focused on preparations for the 2027 elections.
Moreover, Mr Agbedi maintained that governance should take precedence over political manoeuvring and urged the administration to concentrate on addressing insecurity, unemployment, inflation and economic instability.
Citing Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution, which states that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government, the minority leader argued that the federal government had fallen short of its constitutional obligations.
Demands
The minority caucus called for a comprehensive overhaul of the nation’s security architecture, including increased investment in intelligence gathering and improved welfare for security personnel.
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It also demanded a transparent investigation into the abduction and killing of Rabe Abubakar, insisting that Nigerians deserve answers regarding the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The caucus further called for immediate efforts to rescue the abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State and urged judicial authorities to address conflicting rulings relating to political parties.
It also asked Mr Tinubu to focus on governance and national recovery, proposing what they described as a six-month national security and economic recovery plan to address the country’s pressing challenges.
The caucus said it would continue to use legislative mechanisms available in the House of Representatives to hold the executive accountable and ensure that issues affecting citizens remain at the forefront of national discourse.