The All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected calls by opposition parties and the 10th House of Representatives minority caucus for President Bola Tinubu to either improve governance or resign over worsening insecurity and economic hardship.
The opposition lawmakers had urged Tinubu to suspend 2027 political activities and focus on a 6-month ‘National Security and Economic Recovery Plan’, arguing that rising insecurity and economic challenges were pushing Nigeria toward a failed state.
The position was backed by parties including the ADC, PDP, SDP, NDC and the Democratic Leadership Alliance, which accused the administration of underperforming and prioritising politics over governance.
However, in reaction, APC’s Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, rejected calls for Tinubu’s resignation, describing the call and claims that Nigeria was tilting towards a failed state as reckless and misleading, saying the President remained focused on tackling insecurity and reviving the economy. He argued that security and economic challenges were not unique to Nigeria, noting that countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom were facing similar difficulties.
He maintained that the Federal Government was taking steps to address the challenges and urged Nigerians to support efforts aimed at finding solutions, and urged Nigerians to support government efforts rather than deepen divisions. He maintained that calls for Tinubu’s resignation were unjustified and failed to recognise ongoing efforts to improve security and economic conditions.
Meanwhile, President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Afam Osigwe, opposed suggestions that insecurity should lead to the suspension of elections or political campaigns, arguing that democratic processes remain essential for holding leaders accountable. He argued that suspending campaigns due to insecurity could unintentionally shield political office holders from scrutiny and weaken democratic accountability. “It would also be an opportunity for them to show the people that they have a strong credential on security”, he said.
Osigwe further noted that elections serve as a “referendum” on leadership performance, especially on issues of insecurity. Voting them out, if the people feel they have failed to tackle mounting insecurity, is part of the democratic process,” he said.
