ABUJA — The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has accused the Federal Government of prioritising political calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections while insecurity and economic hardship continue to worsen across the country.
Addressing journalists at the National Assembly on Wednesday, Minority Leader Hon. Fred Agbedi said Nigeria was facing a troubling combination of rising insecurity, economic difficulties and alleged attempts to weaken opposition parties through the judicial process.
The lawmakers expressed concern over the reported death of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar, who was allegedly killed while in captivity after being abducted alongside his wife in Katsina State.
Describing the incident as a national tragedy, Agbedi said the killing of a retired senior military officer highlighted the country’s growing security challenges and raised serious questions about the state’s ability to protect 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 caucus also decried the continued abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State, calling on security agencies to launch an immediate and coordinated operation to secure their release.
According to Agbedi, every additional day the victims remain in captivity places their lives and future at greater risk, stressing that education should never become a dangerous undertaking in Nigeria.
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. The lawmakers argued that the ruling could create uncertainty within the political system and be perceived as an attempt to weaken opposition ahead of the 2027 elections.
Agbedi alleged that the judgment contradicted existing appellate court decisions and disregarded submissions made by INEC regarding the electoral performance of the affected parties. He described the ruling as a move capable of undermining democratic competition.
The lawmakers, however, welcomed the intervention of the Court of Appeal, which suspended the implementation of the lower court’s judgment pending further legal proceedings.
The caucus further accused the ruling party and the Presidency of focusing more on future electoral calculations than addressing pressing national concerns such as insecurity, hunger, inflation and declining public confidence in governance.
Among its recommendations, the caucus called for an urgent overhaul of Nigeria’s security architecture, a transparent investigation into the abduction and death of General Rabe Abubakar, and intervention by the Chief Justice of Nigeria to address conflicting judicial decisions relating to political parties.
The lawmakers also urged President Bola Tinubu to concentrate on governance and implement a comprehensive National Security and Economic Recovery Plan aimed at tackling the country’s most pressing challenges.
The Minority Caucus vowed to continue using legislative mechanisms to hold the government accountable, insisting that opposition parties must be allowed to participate freely in Nigeria’s democratic process without intimidation or exclusion.