Akpabio urges stronger action on insecurity and restraint ahead of 2027 vote

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has called on security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue people held captive and protect communities affected by violence, Premium Times reports. Mr Akpabio made the appeal in an address welcoming senators back to plenary after a nine-week annual recess. He expressed sympathy for victims of kidnapping, terror attacks and flooding, and said the legislature had a responsibility to address the country’s security crisis.

He said families were still waiting for relatives taken by armed groups, while some communities had been displaced by violence and others had lost homes and livelihoods to floods. In his view, sympathy alone was not enough and citizens were entitled to effective action from government institutions. Mr Akpabio said the Senate would examine legislation, appropriations and oversight measures to determine what more could be done to improve public safety.

He described the continued captivity of any Nigerian as a burden on the country as a whole. He also urged authorities to improve preparation, protection and relief measures for flood-affected communities. A lost harvest, he said, also affected national food supplies, while families who lost homes needed support to recover.

The Senate president acknowledged the pressure caused by the rising cost of living. He said lawmakers should consider economic figures and reforms while remaining focused on how hardship affected families, jobseekers and small businesses. With campaigns for the 2027 general elections already under way, Mr Akpabio urged candidates and parties to avoid violence and intimidation.

He said political competition could be vigorous without setting communities, faiths or regions against one another, and called on candidates to remember the country that would remain after the election.