The minority caucus in the House of Representatives has criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu, accusing it of failing to address worsening insecurity, economic hardship and threats to democratic institutions while focusing on preparations for the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at a press conference at the National Assembly in Abuja on Wednesday, House Minority Leader Fred Agbedi said Nigeria was facing one of its most challenging periods since the return to democratic rule in 1999.
According to Agbedi, the opposition lawmakers convened the briefing to draw attention to what they described as the country’s deteriorating security and economic conditions.
“Nigeria is bleeding, Nigeria is confused and Nigeria is being deliberately pushed to the brink by a government that has elevated 2027 electioneering above the lives and welfare of citizens,” Agbedi declared.
He said remaining silent in the face of the country’s challenges would amount to complicity, adding that Nigerians had yet to see meaningful improvements despite repeated assurances from government officials.
The caucus cited the recent death of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar, who reportedly died in captivity after being abducted alongside his wife in Katsina State, as evidence of the country’s worsening security situation.
“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. It is a national embarrassment,” Agbedi said.
The lawmakers noted that attacks by bandits, terrorists and kidnappers continue across several regions of the country despite ongoing military operations.
“If a General is not safe within the borders of our nation, then who truly is?” he asked.
They also expressed concern over the continued captivity of schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oyo State, describing the situation as another sign of the government’s inability to guarantee citizens’ safety.
“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 called on the President to present a comprehensive security strategy and improve support for security agencies through enhanced welfare, intelligence gathering and reforms to the country’s security architecture.
“At a period in our nation’s long-drawn battle with these insurgents, victory was close by, especially with the presence of mercenaries in the frontlines. Today, no one is sure what the strategy, if any, is,” he added.
On the judiciary, the lawmakers criticised a recent Federal High Court judgment ordering the deregistration of five opposition parties, arguing that the ruling could undermine Nigeria’s democratic process.
“This judgment, coming only months to the country’s general elections and after a subsisting Appeal Court decision on the same matter, is not intended to serve justice. Instead, it appears to be a deliberate ploy to engender judicial chaos weaponised to destabilise the polity,” Agbedi said.
He described the judgment as “rascality taken too far” and alleged that opposition parties were increasingly facing institutional obstacles.
“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, the whole goal has been to muscle all credible opposition out of the 2027 contest,” he alleged.
The minority caucus also painted a bleak picture of the economy, citing inflation, rising food prices, declining purchasing power and widespread hardship.
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“From Sokoto to Enugu, from Borno to Lagos, the story is the same: hunger, killings, kidnappings, collapse of the naira, collapse of hope,” Agbedi said.
The lawmakers accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of prioritising political manoeuvring over governance.
“Yet what preoccupies the ruling party and the Presidency is 2027 endorsement rallies, defections, re-election strategies and Town hall meetings to discuss tenure security,” he said.
The caucus urged President Tinubu to suspend political activities related to the next election and focus on addressing the country’s challenges.
“President Tinubu must suspend all 2027 political activities and declare a six-month National Security and Economic Recovery Plan,” Agbedi said, urging the President to “Lead or leave.”
As part of its recommendations, the caucus called for an independent investigation into the abduction and death of Maj. Gen. Abubakar, urgent action to rescue the abducted Oyo schoolchildren, reforms within the security sector and intervention by the Chief Justice of Nigeria over disputes arising from conflicting court judgments.
The lawmakers also pledged to continue holding the government accountable through legislative means.
“We will not be silent. We will not be intimidated. We will use every legislative instrument to hold this government accountable,” Agbedi stated.
Addressing Nigerians, he urged citizens not to lose faith in democracy.
“To Nigerians, do not despair. 2027 will not be decided in Aso Rock or by compromised courts. It will be decided by you, the people.”
“The opposition parties will stand with you. The opposition will not be muscled out. Nigeria will be rescued.”
The briefing was attended by Deputy Minority Leader Abdussamad Dasuki, Minority Whip Mansur Soro and Afam Ogene, leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress caucus in the House.
