The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Fred Agbedi, has strongly criticized the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over what he described as its failure to address Nigeria’s worsening security situation, insisting that the president should consider resigning if his government cannot adequately protect citizens.
Speaking on behalf of opposition lawmakers during an interview on Politics Today, a programme aired on Channels Television, Agbedi expressed deep concern over the persistent wave of kidnappings, killings, and economic hardship affecting Nigerians.
The lawmaker specifically condemned the federal government’s handling of the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State in mid-May, lamenting that the victims remain unrecovered despite national outrage over the incident.
Agbedi also faulted President Tinubu for failing to visit Oyo State to assess the situation firsthand and offer support to the affected families, despite traveling to neighboring Lagos State around the same period.
According to him, Nigeria is currently grappling with unprecedented security challenges that have left citizens vulnerable, while economic difficulties continue to worsen living conditions across the country. He further alleged that political strategies aimed at weakening opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections are distracting the government from addressing pressing national issues.
The Minority Leader argued that democracy demands accountability from leaders and that governments that fail in their primary responsibility of protecting lives and property should be prepared to relinquish power.
“The duty and beauty of democracy is that if you are not able to give leadership to your nation, if your government fails, then both those in the minority, those who are free citizens of the nation, have a right to say, you either perform or you quit,” Agbedi stated.
Drawing parallels with his tenure in the 8th National Assembly, Agbedi recalled that he had similarly challenged the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari over security concerns, maintaining that leaders must be held accountable regardless of political affiliation.
He lamented what he described as the declining value of human life under the current security framework, saying that the loss of Nigerian lives often receives little more than symbolic recognition.
Agbedi’s remarks add to growing political debates over the state of security in the country, with opposition figures increasingly demanding stronger action from the federal government to tackle insecurity and restore public confidence in the nation’s safety architecture.
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