Akpabio links insecurity surge to 2027 politics, fingers opposition
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, on Tuesday, alleged that elements within the opposition were sponsoring bombings and insecurity in parts of the country to distract President Bola Tinubu and weaken his administration ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Akpabio made the claim in Abuja during the inauguration of the new headquarters of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), where he commended Tinubu’s leadership and ongoing reforms.
According to him, recent securiri incidents may be politically motivated and aimed at creating fear while discrediting the government.
“You are seeing insecurity today. It is even increasing because elections are approaching,” he said.
“As soon alections are over, watch what happens. Within the first two weeks, you may not hear of any bomb blast because some people are sponsoring it to distract the government.”
The Senate President, however, did not name any individual, group, or political party allegedly involved.
He argued tha President Tinubu’s performance had strengthened the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), making it difficult for opposition parties to mount a credible challenge.
“They say this man is doing well in many areas. If governors are aligning with him, it is because he is supporting the states effectively,” Akpabio said.
“He came in with fewer than 18 governors. Today, nearly 32 governors are aligned with him out of 36.”
Akpabio further stated that the APC’s growing political strength was driven by what he described as achievements in infrastructure development, fiscal reforms, and support for sub-national governments.
He also criticised opposition parties, saying many were grappling with internal crises and lacked cohesion ahead of the next election cycle.
“Today, no opposition political party is stable in this country. They have not been able to put their houses in order,” he said.
The Senate President defended Tinubu’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of petrol subsidy, noting that the policy had helped avert fiscal collapse.
“From day one, you said fuel subsidy is gone. I wondered if you knew the implications,” he said.
“But today, it is clear that entrenched corruption was feeding on subsidy. Nigeria was spending up to 90–93 per cent of its revenue on subsidy and debt servicing.”
He explained that the reforms had created fiscal space for infrastructure development, which had previously been constrained by heavy debt obligations and recurrent expenditure.
“There was no money for infrastructure. You cannot build something on nothing and expect it to stand,” he added.
Akpabio also pointed to ongoing infrastructural improvements in the Federal Capital Territory, noting the resumption of previously abandoned road and bridge projects.
“As a long-time resident of the FCT, I have seen visible changes. Some projects we didn’t even know existed have now been revived,” he said.
He commended the President for appointing individuals beyond the ruling party into key positions, describing it as a sign of inclusive governance.
“You have brought in people from outside the APC, showing that governance is about the country, not just the party,” he said.
Akpabio urged Nigerians to focus on the administration’s achievements rather than what he described as distractions from political opponents.
“While there are serious challenges, some prefer to dwell on trivial issues because they cannot match performance,” he said.
From Guardian
