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By Tracy Moses
The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives on Wednesday criticised the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accusing it of failing to address worsening security and economic challenges while focusing on political calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Addressing journalists at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, Minority Leader of the House, Hon. Fred Agbedi, said Nigeria was grappling with insecurity, economic hardship and institutional uncertainty, warning that the situation demanded urgent leadership rather than political manoeuvring.
“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 convened the press conference “with a heavy heart but with unshaken resolve to speak truth to power,” arguing that silence amid the country’s deteriorating conditions would amount to complicity.
The lawmakers focused on the reported killing of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar, who was abducted alongside his wife in Katsina State and later died in captivity.
Describing the incident as a national tragedy, Agbedi said it highlighted the severity of the country’s security crisis.
“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,” he said.
The Minority Leader said the incident followed the deaths of other senior military officers in the line of duty and reflected the state’s inability to guarantee citizens’ safety.
“If a General is not safe within the borders of our nation, then who truly is?” he asked.
He also lamented the growing vulnerability of traditional rulers and community leaders, many of whom have become targets of kidnappers and armed groups across the country.
“Our security is in the mud. Yet, the political class is busy rehearsing new political dance steps, seemingly unbothered,” Agbedi added.
The caucus urged President Tinubu, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, to present a clear and effective strategy for tackling persistent security challenges.
“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 said.
The lawmakers also expressed concern over the continued captivity of schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oyo State, describing it as evidence of the growing normalisation of insecurity.
“As we speak, school children and their teachers abducted in Oyo State remain in captivity. Their crime? Going to school in Nigeria,” Agbedi stated.
He called for an immediate, coordinated rescue operation, insisting that every hour in captivity further endangered the children and the nation’s future.
Beyond security concerns, the caucus raised alarm over recent judicial developments, particularly a Federal High Court judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five opposition political parties.
According to Agbedi, the judgment appeared aimed at weakening opposition forces ahead of the next general elections and could undermine democratic participation.
“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 weaponized to destabilize the polity,” he said.
The Minority Leader described the ruling as “rascality taken too far,” arguing that it set a dangerous precedent that could erode political pluralism and public confidence in democratic institutions.
He questioned why the court allegedly disregarded submissions by INEC indicating that the affected parties had met the legal requirements for continued registration by securing elective positions in previous elections.
The caucus further alleged that opposition parties had faced increasing institutional obstacles, from registration challenges to efforts aimed at frustrating emerging political coalitions.
“From external manipulations and executive meddlesomeness that kept old political structures polarized, 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 intervention of the Court of Appeal in halting implementation of the Federal High Court judgment, the lawmakers urged defenders of democratic governance to remain vigilant.
The caucus also painted a bleak picture of economic conditions, citing rising inflation, increasing poverty and declining purchasing power.
“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 party of prioritising politics over governance, arguing that its focus appeared fixed on securing a second term rather than addressing urgent national concerns.
“Yet what preoccupies the ruling party and the Presidency is 2027. Endorsement rallies. Defections. Re-election strategies. Town hall meetings to discuss tenure security,” he said.
Agbedi maintained that government had a constitutional obligation to prioritise citizens’ welfare and security and warned that continued neglect could deepen public frustration.
On governance, the Minority Caucus challenged President Tinubu to suspend political activities linked to the next election cycle and focus on immediate national challenges.
“President Tinubu must suspend all 2027 political activities and declare a six-month National Security and Economic Recovery Plan. Lead or leave,” he said.
To address the nation’s challenges, the caucus called for an immediate overhaul of the security architecture, greater investment in intelligence gathering, improved welfare for frontline security personnel and a transparent investigation into the abduction and killing of retired Major General Abubakar.
The lawmakers also demanded urgent action to secure the release of the abducted Oyo schoolchildren and their teachers.
On the judiciary and electoral process, they urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria to intervene in the controversy surrounding conflicting court decisions on political party registration, while calling on INEC to resist any attempt to undermine democratic competition ahead of the 2027 elections.
In a strongly worded conclusion, the caucus warned against what it described as efforts to weaken opposition voices through judicial and institutional means.
“The attempt to kill opposition parties through judicial ambush, to ignore mass killings while chasing second term, and to normalize the abduction of children is a declaration of war against Nigerians,” Agbedi said.
He vowed that the opposition would continue to deploy every constitutional and legislative tool available to hold the government accountable.
“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 directly, the Minority Leader urged citizens not to lose faith in democracy despite the country’s present challenges.
“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 remarks marked one of the strongest criticisms yet from the House Minority Caucus against the Tinubu administration and underscored the increasingly sharp political contestation taking shape ahead of the 2027 general elections.