Insecurity rising over 2027 elections, to distract Tinubu — Akpabio

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President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio

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By Ayobami Okerinde

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

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Akpabio made the claim on Tuesday while delivering a goodwill message at the inauguration of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) headquarters, suggesting that some actors were sponsoring violence to undermine the re-election of President Bola Tinubu.

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He said, “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.”

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Akpabio also pointed to what he described as growing political alignment with the president, noting that more governors have come under Tinubu’s influence since 2023.

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He also referenced controversy surrounding an X account allegedly operated by INEC chairman, Joash Amupitan, dismissing claims of bias in the electoral process.

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“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?

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“How do you win an election when you don’t have a structure? No political party is stable again in this country. Then they change and attack the people going to do the election. 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.

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“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.”

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

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Akpabio’s comments come amid heightened security concerns nationwide, following a series of violent incidents in recent days.

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Vanguard reported that President Tinubu on Monday held a closed-door meeting with security chiefs, including the Chief of Defence Staff and heads of intelligence agencies, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, as part of ongoing efforts to address the situation.

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In the North-East, a recent airstrike by the Nigerian Air Force reportedly resulted in civilian casualties alongside suspected insurgents, drawing criticism from rights groups.

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Similarly, a senior military officer, Brigadier General Oseni Braimah, was killed in an attack on a military formation in Borno State on April 9, 2026, while a separate incident claimed the lives of a colonel and several soldiers on Monday.

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The deteriorating security situation has also drawn international attention, with the United States Department of State authorising the voluntary departure of non-essential embassy staff from Abuja over safety concerns.

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