The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives on Wednesday issued a strong rebuke of the administration of President Bola Tinubu, accusing it of failing to address worsening insecurity, economic hardship, and what it described as growing threats to democratic institutions.
The Punch reported that the opposition lawmakers also alleged that the government had shifted focus toward political calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections instead of tackling the country’s pressing challenges.
Speaking to journalists at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, Minority Leader of the House, Fred Agbedi, said Nigeria was going through one of its most difficult periods since the return to democratic rule in 1999, pointing to insecurity, poverty, and public frustration.
“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 the caucus held the briefing “with a heavy heart but with unshaken resolve to speak truth to power,” stressing that silence in the face of national challenges would amount to complicity.
The lawmakers argued that despite being three years into the Tinubu administration, there had been no significant improvement in security or economic conditions, despite repeated assurances from officials.
A key focus of the briefing was the death of retired Maj. Gen. Rabe Abubakar, who was reportedly abducted alongside his wife in Katsina State before dying in captivity.
The lawmakers said the incident reflected the worsening security situation and demanded a transparent investigation.
“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 added.
They noted that banditry, terrorism, and criminal attacks had continued across the North-West, North-Central, and parts of the South-East, with security personnel, traditional rulers, and civilians increasingly targeted.
“If a General is not safe within the borders of our nation, then who truly is?” Agbedi asked.
He further lamented the vulnerability of community leaders, saying: “Our security is in the mud. Yet, the political class is busy rehearsing new political dance steps, seemingly unbothered,” he added.
The caucus urged President Tinubu, as Commander-in-Chief, to present a comprehensive security strategy to address the multiple threats facing the country, alongside improved welfare for security personnel and stronger intelligence operations.
“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,” Agbedi stated.
The lawmakers also raised alarm over the continued abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State, describing it as further evidence of the state’s inability to protect citizens.
“As we speak, school children and their teachers abducted in Oyo State remain in captivity. Their crime? Going to school in Nigeria,” Agbedi said.
They called for urgent rescue efforts and warned that prolonged captivity posed serious risks to the victims.
The caucus also expressed concern over recent judicial developments, particularly a Federal High Court ruling ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission to deregister five opposition political parties.
According to Agbedi, the ruling raised serious concerns about democratic stability ahead of future elections.
“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,” he said.
He also described the judgment as “rascality taken too far,” warning it could weaken political pluralism.
The caucus further alleged that opposition parties were facing institutional obstacles aimed at limiting their participation in the 2027 elections.
“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,” Agbedi alleged.
While welcoming the Court of Appeal’s intervention suspending the ruling, the lawmakers urged vigilance among democratic stakeholders.
On the economy, the caucus described worsening hardship across the country, citing inflation, rising food prices, and declining purchasing power.
They argued that key reforms such as subsidy removal and naira flotation had increased citizens’ burdens without adequate protection measures.
“From Sokoto to Enugu, from Borno to Lagos, the story is the same: hunger, killings, kidnappings, collapse of the naira, collapse of hope,” Agbedi added.
They accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the presidency of prioritising political mobilisation 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 lawmakers urged President Tinubu to suspend political activities tied to the next election cycle and focus on governance, calling for a six-month national security and economic recovery plan.
“President Tinubu must suspend all 2027 political activities and declare a six-month National Security and Economic Recovery Plan,” urging him to “Lead or leave.”
They also demanded an independent investigation into Maj. Gen. Abubakar’s death, urgent rescue of the abducted Oyo schoolchildren, and sweeping reforms in the security sector.
The caucus further called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria to address conflicting court rulings affecting political parties, and urged INEC to safeguard democratic competition.
Agbedi warned against what he described as efforts to weaken opposition voices.
“The attempt to kill opposition parties through judicial ambush, to ignore mass killings while chasing second term, and to normalise the abduction of children is a declaration of war against Nigerians,” he said.
He reaffirmed the opposition’s commitment to accountability.
“We will not be silent. We will not be intimidated. We will use every legislative instrument to hold this government accountable,” he stated.
Addressing Nigerians, he added: “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 House Minority Whip Mansur Soro, Deputy Minority Leader Abdussamad Dasuki, and leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress caucus in the House, Afam Ogene.
