By Oluwakemi Kindness
The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives on Wednesday called on President Bola Tinubu to suspend all activities related to the 2027 general elections and immediately concentrate on tackling the country’s worsening security and economic challenges.
Addressing journalists at the National Assembly, Minority Leader, Rep. Fred Agbedi, said Nigeria was facing an unprecedented crisis marked by killings, kidnappings, economic hardship and widespread insecurity, accusing the government and the ruling party of prioritizing political calculations over governance.
The caucus demanded that President Tinubu declare a six-month National Security and Economic Recovery Plan, arguing that the nation’s survival should take precedence over re-election campaigns, endorsements and political defections.
“Politics must take the back seat when the nation bleeds. We must secure Nigeria first,” Agbedi said, insisting that the constitutional responsibility of government to guarantee the security and welfare of citizens was being neglected.
The lawmakers expressed outrage over the killing of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar in captivity, describing the incident as a national embarrassment and evidence of the country’s deteriorating security situation.
They also lamented the continued captivity of school children and teachers abducted in Oyo State, calling for an immediate military operation to secure their release.
The caucus further accused the administration of focusing on political maneuvering ahead of the 2027 elections while Nigerians grapple with hunger, inflation, kidnappings and violent attacks across the country.
On the judiciary and electoral process, the opposition lawmakers raised concerns over a recent Federal High Court judgment ordering the deregistration of five opposition political parties.
They described the ruling as a dangerous attempt to weaken opposition forces ahead of the next general election and urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria to intervene to prevent what they called judicial confusion.
The caucus warned that any effort to undermine political pluralism or sideline opposition parties could threaten Nigeria’s democratic stability, insisting that the 2027 elections must be free, fair and competitive.
Reaffirming their commitment to holding the government accountable, the lawmakers vowed to deploy all available legislative mechanisms to demand action on security, governance and economic recovery, while urging Nigerians not to lose hope despite the country’s mounting challenges.
