Senate President Godswill Akpabio has alleged that the
rising wave of terrorist attacks across Nigeria is part of a deliberate effort
to distract President Bola Tinubu’s administration from its reform agenda.
Akpabio made the claim on Tuesday in Abuja while
delivering a goodwill message at the official inauguration of the Nigeria
Revenue Service headquarters.
Speaking at the event, the Senate President said he
believed the attacks were politically motivated and would stop after the 2027
elections.
“Believe me, Mr President, two weeks after you win the
elections in 2027, the bomb blasts will stop. People are sponsoring it to
distract you from your work,” Akpabio said.
He added that Tinubu was performing well despite what
he described as a “gang-up” against his administration.
“You’re doing so well despite the gang-up on your
administration,” he stated.
Akpabio’s remarks came less than 24 hours after
President Tinubu held a closed-door meeting with the Chief of Defence Staff,
Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, and a French military official at the Presidential Villa
in Abuja.
Sources familiar with the meeting said the discussion
was part of ongoing security collaboration aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s
response to worsening insecurity.
The meeting was Tinubu’s first official engagement
after returning from Bayelsa State on Friday.
It also came about three weeks after the President
disclosed that France had agreed to provide military equipment and training
support to Nigerian forces fighting insurgency in the North-East.
Nigeria is currently facing several security
challenges, including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province attacks
in the North-East, as well as banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes in
the North-West and North-Central regions.
Akpabio’s comments also come amid heightened concerns
over insecurity, including reports of a controversial air strike that allegedly
killed more than 100 civilians and a fresh United States advisory permitting
the voluntary departure of non-emergency embassy staff from Abuja.
During his speech, Akpabio also defended the Chairman
of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, over
allegations of political bias linked to a resurfaced social media post.
He dismissed claims that the post showed partisan
support, arguing that the statement attributed to the INEC chairman was
neutral.
According to Akpabio, the post only stated that
“victory is sure” and did not specifically mention any political party.
“But he didn’t say victory is sure for the APC. He did
not say victory is sure for the PDP. He just said victory is sure,” Akpabio
said.
He also argued that the alleged post was made before
Amupitan became INEC chairman, adding that private citizens are free to support
whoever they choose.
However, Akpabio noted that once a person assumes
public office, they must serve the entire country and act with fairness.
Comments:
Leave a Reply