The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has attributed the recent surge in insecurity across Nigeria to the build-up to the 2027 general elections.
Nigerians are expected to go to the polls in January 2027, with Bola Tinubu seeking a second term in office. In recent months, however, the country has witnessed escalating attacks by terrorists and bandits in several regions.
On Saturday, a Nigerian Air Force airstrike targeting Boko Haram insurgents reportedly struck Jilli market in Yobe State near the Borno border, killing more than 40 civilians, including children.
Speaking on Tuesday during the inauguration of the Nigerian Revenue Service (NRS) corporate headquarters in Abuja, Akpabio expressed optimism that the insecurity would ease after the elections.
“You are seeing insecurity today; it’s even increasing because the election is coming. As soon as the election is over, watch out for the first two weeks; you won’t hear any bomb blasts because people are sponsoring to distract you (Tinubu),” he said.
The senate president also rejected claims by opposition parties that the country is drifting towards a one-party system, accusing them of lacking organisation and internal unity.
He argued that the ruling All Progressives Congress continues to attract governors due to the performance of the current administration.
“They don’t know what else to do; they say this man is too good in many areas; the government is attracted to him because he is taking very good care of the states,” he said.
“Initially, it’s less than 18 governors. Today, we have almost 32 governors under his fold out of 36 states.”
Akpabio also took a swipe at Peter Obi over remarks suggesting he could leave the African Democratic Congress if its primaries become transactional.
“So where do we belong? How do you win elections when you don’t know how to structure? No political party today is stable in this country,” he added.
“Opposition is in disarray; someone got six million votes and abandoned the party, abandoned the six million votes and went shopping for another platform, and they are blaming the ruling party.”
He also dismissed calls for the resignation of Joash Amupitan, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, over an alleged partisan social media post.
Akpabio urged Nigerians to remain patient with the current administration.
“Then they change and say, ‘let us attack the people going to do the election,’ and they bring out a tweet saying the chairman of INEC said, ‘victory is sure’. But he didn’t say victory is sure for APC or PDP, and the man said, ‘It’s manipulated,” he said.
“But for me, whether manipulated or not, he said, ‘victory is sure’. He was not the chairman of INEC then. Anybody can support whoever he wishes to, but when you are in a seat, you have to think of the entire country and its populace.
“Let Nigerians be patient with you; you are doing the right thing.
‘Dr Zacch Adedeji is the first taxman that Nigerians love; even in the Bible, people don’t like tax collectors. Zacch has done very well, and Nigerians are happy with him.’”
Among dignitaries present at the event were President Tinubu; Jibrin Barau; Tajudeen Abbas; Benjamin Kalu; George Akume; and Nuhu Ribadu.
Also in attendance were Babagana Zulum; Chukwuma Soludo; Caleb Mutfwang; Hope Uzodimma; and Usman Ododo.
The newly inaugurated NRS headquarters is a 16-floor complex comprising three towers with capacity to accommodate about 3,000 personnel.
In June 2025, President Tinubu signed the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, transforming the Federal Inland Revenue Service into the NRS.
