Tinubu Govt prioritising politics over security, governance — Reps Minority Caucus alleges

The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of placing political considerations above pressing governance challenges, particularly worsening insecurity and economic hardship across the country.

The lawmakers also alleged that efforts were being made to weaken opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections instead of addressing the nation’s growing security and economic concerns.

Speaking on behalf of the caucus, the Minority Leader of the House, Fred Agbedi, said Nigeria was grappling with a combination of security, economic and democratic challenges that required urgent intervention from the Federal Government.

The caucus expressed concern over the recent killing of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar while in captivity, the continued detention of abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State, and what it described as conflicting judicial pronouncements affecting the status of some political parties.

“If a general is not safe within the borders of our nation, then who truly is?” Mr Agbedi asked.

The caucus 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 effectively addressed.

Mr Agbedi lamented that traditional rulers across various parts of the country had also become targets of kidnappers and armed groups, citing a growing pattern of abductions and killings involving monarchs and community leaders.

According to him, insecurity has spread beyond the North-East and North-West regions to other parts of the country, with cases of banditry, kidnapping and violent attacks increasingly reported in states previously considered relatively safe.

He urged the Federal Government to urgently articulate a comprehensive security strategy while strengthening intelligence gathering, improving troop welfare and enhancing operational coordination among security agencies.

While acknowledging previous military successes against insurgents, Mr Agbedi argued that the current approach lacked direction and had allowed criminal groups to regroup and expand their operations 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 said.

The minority caucus also drew attention to the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State, describing the incident as another indication of the growing threat to education and public safety.

“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 asked.

He noted that every day the victims remain in captivity represents a setback to their education, psychological well-being and future 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.

On the crisis within the opposition and alleged judicial interference in political affairs, Mr Agbedi said recent developments appeared designed to destabilise opposition parties and undermine democratic participation.

“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,” he said.

He further questioned the role of individuals allegedly linked to legal actions affecting opposition parties, suggesting that political interests may be influencing developments within the opposition space.

“From external manipulations and executive meddlesomeness that kept old political structures polarised, to attempts to truncate new alliances through institutional bottlenecks, such as the refusal to register new political parties and stringent guidelines imposed by the electoral umpire, the goal has been to muscle all credible opposition out of the 2027 contest,” Mr Agbedi alleged.

The caucus called on the Federal Government to focus on addressing the nation’s security and economic challenges rather than engaging in political manoeuvres that could undermine democratic competition.