‘Insecurity is Increasing because Election is Coming’ – Akpabio

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has stated that rising insecurity in parts of the country may be connected to the approaching elections, alleging that some actors are deliberately fueling unrest to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Speaking at the Commissioning of the New Nigerian Revenue Service (NRS) Corporate Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, Akpabio claimed that the pattern of violence appears politically motivated, predicting a sharp decline immediately after the elections.

According to him, “as soon as the election is over, watch out, the first two weeks you’ll not hear a single bomb blast,” implying that such incidents are being sponsored to undermine the administration led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He further defended the President’s administration, describing Tinubu as effective across multiple areas of governance.

Akpabio also pointed to the growing number of state governors aligning with the ruling party, noting that Tinubu “came in with 18 governors and now has almost 32 governors under his party,” which he attributed to the President’s support for states.

Addressing controversy surrounding an alleged pro-All Progressives Congress (APC) post on X (formerly Twitter), allegedly linked to Professor Joash Amupitan, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC.

The post “victory is sure” had sparked debate on the internet with Nigerians calling for the removal of the INEC Chairman, whom they claimed was partisan and so cannot handle the electoral umpire.

Clarifying his position, Akpabio said the statement was being misinterpreted. “He did not say, ‘Victory is sure for APC or PDP.’ He only said, ‘Victory is sure,’”

Akpabio explained, adding that the comment dated back to a time when the individual referenced was still a lecturer.

He also noted claims that the account in question may have been manipulated, but maintained that the statement itself did not explicitly endorse any political party.