ABUJA: President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has alleged that the recent surge in insecurity across Nigeria is politically motivated and directly linked to the 2027 general elections.
Akpabio made the assertion on Tuesday while delivering a goodwill message at the inauguration of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) headquarters in Abuja. He suggested that some actors were sponsoring violence to undermine the re-election prospects of President Bola Tinubu.
“You’re seeing insecurity today, and it’s even increasing because the election is coming. As soon as election is over, for the first two weeks you will not hear a single bomb blast because people are sponsoring it to distract you, and they don’t know what else to do, and they say this man is too good in many areas,” Akpabio said.
The Senate President maintained that the wave of attacks and unrest would subside once the political climate stabilises after the polls. He linked the insecurity to individuals threatened by the current administration’s performance and the growing political alignment around President Tinubu.
Political Realignment and Structure
Akpabio pointed to what he described as expanding support for the president since the 2023 elections, noting that more state governors have aligned with Tinubu.
“If the governors are attracted to him because he’s taking good care of the states. He came in with 18 governors, and today he has almost 32 governors under his fold out of 36. So, where do we belong?” Akpabio stated.
He questioned the electoral viability of opposition parties, citing a lack of structure and stability. “How do you win an election when you don’t have a structure? No political party is stable again in this country,” he said.
Comments on INEC and Opposition
The Senate President also addressed controversy surrounding an X account allegedly operated by the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan. The account had posted “Victory is sure,” which drew accusations of bias.
Akpabio dismissed the claims, noting the post did not specify a political party. “Then they brought out a tweet where the INEC chairman said, ‘Victory is sure,’ but he didn’t say victory is sure for APC or PDP. But the man said it’s manipulated and nobody wants to hear,” he said.
He added that Amupitan was not INEC chairman at the time of the post. “For me, whether manipulated or not, he said victory is sure. He was not chairman of INEC then; he was just a lecturer, and anybody can support whoever he wishes to,” Akpabio stated. INEC has since denied that its chairman owned or operated the account.
During the same event, President Bola Tinubu made remarks directed at Akpabio, joking about sending the Senate President to “the other side” to represent him.
“Senate President, I will send you to the other side to represent me. And then you can scatter them to any way you want. They’re confused!” Tinubu said, according to reports.
The president concluded his speech with, “God bless Nigeria, God bless Federal Republic of Nigeria and the tax collectors.”
Akpabio’s comments come amid heightened security concerns in several states and ongoing political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections. The Senate President did not provide specific evidence for the claim of sponsored violence but insisted the trend was tied to election-related anxiety among political actors.
The inauguration of the NRS headquarters was attended by senior government officials and lawmakers.
