Akpabio alleges rising insecurity is politically motivated ahead of 2027 elections

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has alleged that the recent rise in insecurity across Nigeria is politically motivated and connected to preparations for the 2027 general elections.

Akpabio made the remarks on Tuesday while delivering a goodwill message at the inauguration of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) headquarters, where he suggested that certain individuals were sponsoring violence to weaken the chances of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election.

“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,” he said.

The Senate President also pointed to what he described as growing political support for Tinubu, noting that the president’s influence among governors had increased significantly since assuming office in 2023.

“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 further questioned the preparedness of opposition parties for the next election, saying many lacked the structure needed to compete effectively.

“How do you win an election when you don’t have a structure? No political party is stable again in this country,” he added.

Akpabio also addressed controversy surrounding an X account allegedly linked to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, dismissing claims that past social media comments suggested bias.

“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. 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,” he said.

INEC has since denied that the chairman owned or operated the account.

His comments come amid growing national concern over insecurity, following recent attacks and violent incidents in several parts of the country.

President Tinubu on Monday held a closed-door meeting with security chiefs at the Presidential Villa in Abuja as part of efforts to review the situation and strengthen ongoing responses.

Recent incidents include a Nigerian Air Force strike in the North-East that reportedly caused civilian casualties, as well as attacks on military formations in Borno State in which senior officers and soldiers were killed.

The worsening security situation has also attracted international concern, with the United States authorising the voluntary departure of non-essential embassy staff from Abuja over safety fears.