Suspend 2027 Election Activities, Tackle Insecurity – House Of Reps Minority Caucus Tells Tinubu
The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to temporarily suspend activities associated with the 2027 general elections and prioritise urgent national security and economic concerns.
Speaking during a press conference at the National Assembly on Wednesday, the Minority Leader of the caucus, Fred Agbedi, accused the Federal Government of focusing on political calculations ahead of the next election cycle while critical national challenges remain unresolved.
The caucus expressed concern over what it described as worsening insecurity, economic hardship and increasing pressure on democratic opposition, urging government to redirect attention to governance and national stability.
According to Agbedi, the Federal Government should immediately declare a six-month National Security and Economic Recovery Plan focused on restoring public safety and improving economic conditions across the country.
“The life of every Nigerian matters. Politics must take the back seat when the nation bleeds. We must secure Nigeria first,” he said.
The lawmakers also called for an immediate overhaul of the nation’s security framework and demanded a transparent investigation into the abduction and death of retired military spokesperson, Major General Rabe Abubakar (rtd.).
In addition, the caucus urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria to intervene in issues arising from conflicting judicial decisions concerning political party registration.
The Minority Caucus maintained that it would continue to hold the government accountable through legislative processes and insisted that opposition parties must not be intimidated or excluded from Nigeria’s democratic space ahead of future elections.
Reacting to the death of General Abubakar, the caucus described the incident as a national tragedy and a reflection of the country’s deteriorating 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,” Agbedi stated.
The lawmakers further called on President Tinubu to present a clear and effective security strategy capable of confronting banditry, terrorism and kidnapping across the country.
The caucus also raised concerns over the continued captivity of abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State, urging immediate and coordinated security action to secure their release.
“As we speak, school children and their teachers abducted in Oyo State remain in captivity. Their crime? Going to school in Nigeria,” Agbedi said.
On political developments, the caucus criticised the recent Federal High Court judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five opposition political parties.
According to the lawmakers, the ruling risked creating uncertainty within the political environment and could be interpreted as an attempt to weaken opposition participation ahead of the 2027 elections.
Agbedi argued that the judgment conflicted with an existing Court of Appeal decision and disregarded submissions made by INEC regarding the performance of the affected parties.
“We consider Justice Lifu’s judgment as a calculated attempt to push legitimate opposition out of the race for the 2027 presidency,” he said.
The caucus, however, welcomed the intervention of the Court of Appeal, which halted the implementation of the lower court’s decision pending further legal proceedings.
