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The member representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State in the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, has disagreed with the Minority Caucus over calls for President Bola Tinubu’s resignation owing to the security crisis in the country.
Agbese, a member of the Labour Party (LP), said the demand by the opposition lawmakers is allegedly politically motivated and unhelpful to efforts geared towards addressing the spate of insecurity in the country.
The Minority Caucus, at a press briefing by its leadership led by the Minority Leader, Fredrick Agbedi, last week, decried the state of affairs in the country and charged President Tinubu to declare a six-month National Security and Economic Recovery Plan or quit.
Nonetheless, Agbese, who is also the Deputy Spokesman of the House, noted that what is required to combat the security crisis in the country is collective national responsibility and stronger collaboration with security agencies rather than “mere opposition rhetoric”.
He cautioned that security challenges, though daunting, cannot be addressed through inflammatory statements or partisan attacks on the government, stating that opposition lawmakers should channel their energies towards supporting security institutions and offering practical solutions.
According to him, “The issue of insecurity is a national challenge that requires the collective support of all Nigerians. What we need at this critical time is partnership with our armed forces and security agencies, not rhetoric designed to score political points.
“The issue of insecurity is a national challenge that requires the collective support of all Nigerians. What we need at this critical time is partnership with our armed forces and security agencies, not rhetoric designed to score political points.”
He added, “The call for the resignation of President Tinubu is not borne out of patriotism. It appears to be part of a broader conspiracy by some political actors who are desperate to remove the President from office through every available means.”
Agbese, while noting that the security challenges confronting Nigeria predate President Tinubu’s administration, stated that addressing them requires sustained commitment, intelligence gathering, improved funding and cooperation among all stakeholders.
The lawmaker, who recalled that the House recently invited the security chiefs for an interaction on the security challenges, commended the Armed Forces and other security agencies for their efforts and sacrifices in the fight against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of criminality.
“Our armed forces are making enormous sacrifices daily. Instead of demoralising them through political attacks, we should encourage them and provide the support needed for them to succeed,” he said.
