Politics
Sack Non- Performing Appointees, Abbas Tells Tinubu
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has urged President Bola Tinubu to relieve non-performing cabinet members of their duties.
He also advocated the adoption of new strategies to address the widespread insecurity ravaging the country.
Abbas gave the charge yesterday at the resumption of plenary from the Christmas and New Year holidays.
He said that the recent move by the President to track and review the annual performance of Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies is indeed commendable and should be supported by all Nigerians.
“The lack of a proper performance assessment framework is a significant shortfall in government and public sector systems and processes. This has often resulted in insufficient alignment of organisational strategic priorities and budgets with national priorities as contained in the 8-point agenda of Mr President.
“We hope that the result of the government-wide performance report will be tabled before the National Assembly to provide lawmakers and the people of Nigeria an insight into the performance of government officials. Those whose performance falls below the minimum benchmark set by the President should be immediately replaced by more competent substitutes,” he added.
Lamenting the worsening security challenges which in the past few weeks led to the death of scores of Nigerians in Plateau, Kaduna and other parts of the country, Abbas noted that if not adequately addressed, the situation could degenerate to threaten the stability of the nation.
He said, “Despite numerous security measures, the menace of insecurity continues to thrive, mocking our efforts and challenging our resolve to build a cohesive, peaceful and prosperous nation. It is a stark reminder that the conventional approaches to security we have espoused for so long are no longer sufficient. The time has come to think out of the box and adopt new and contemporary strategies that better respond to the complexities of our current challenges.
“To our patriotic and brave security forces, while commending your heroism and sacrifice, the time has come for you to review your approaches and strategies, innovate and adapt. The enemy evolves, and so must we. I challenge you to rise to this occasion, to demonstrate the indomitable spirit for which you are known, and to do more in safeguarding the lives and property of our people.”
He said as a concerned citizen, he was troubled by the widespread insecurity that grips the country.
According to him, Nigeria stands at a crucial juncture, facing formidable challenges that test Nigerians’ resolve, unity and spirit.
“The threats of insurgency are severely testing the peace and stability of our country, the rise in kidnapping for ransom and the unsettling unrest and crises across all the six geo-political zones. Families and communities have endured immense hardships, and our hearts go out to all those affected by these tumultuous events.
“We are particularly saddened by the tragic and senseless murder of our daughters, Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar and Folorunsho Ariyo, the heinous murder of over 30 people in Plateau State, as well as many others who have fallen victim to the mindless acts of terror in the last few weeks. We also remember those who lost their lives in the blast in Ibadan triggered by explosives stored by illegal miners,” he said.
The speaker also tasked Tinubu to demand “Greater performance and accountability from our service chiefs and all security and enforcement agencies. I implore the President not to shy away from making the tough decisions. If necessary, we must not hesitate to enact changes within our security apparatus, for the cost of inaction is far too great to bear.”
Abbas who represents Zaria Federal Constituency reiterated his plan to convene a national security summit where “Stakeholders from diverse sectors – security, traditional and religious institutions, academia, civil society, and more – will forge enduring solutions to our security woes. It is time to harness our collective expertise, to break the silos that have hindered our progress, and to chart a new course towards peace and stability.”
He also lamented the legion of economic challenges facing the country and pledged the readiness of the legislative arm to assist the executive in finding lasting solutions in the interest of the country.
He continued, “On the economic front, our country continues to grapple with numerous hurdles that impede our growth trajectory. Inflation, unemployment, and infrastructural deficits are issues that touch the core of our people’s daily lives. The continuous depreciation of the naira has far-reaching consequences, given that Nigeria relies heavily on imports for many essential items, including food, fuel and machinery. Yet, amidst these challenges, there are signs of resilience and potential.
“The President’s economic policies, aimed at revitalising key sectors, promoting sustainable growth, and fostering inclusive development, are steps in the right direction. We in the legislative arm must align our efforts with the executive to ensure that these initiatives are effectively implemented and yield tangible results for every Nigerian.”
He listed other legislative priorities in 2024 to include among others the speedy consideration of electoral reforms, alteration of the 1999 Constitution, improved citizens’ engagement, enhanced oversight, institutional capacity strengthening, and greater collaboration with the executive.
“Of immediate concern to us are electoral reforms to address grey areas in the 2022 Electoral Act. The purpose is to ensure that future elections are free, fair, and credible elections that truly reflect the people’s will”, he added.
Prof. Amupitan gave the warning on Saturday, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, during the South-South Zonal Readiness Assessment and Interactive Staff Engagement organised ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He said insecurity remained a potential challenge to the electoral process but stressed that the Commission would not allow threats against its personnel to undermine its constitutional responsibilities.
“Insecurity may pose a challenge, but our collective constitutional resolve is far stronger. Let me again send a clear message from Port Harcourt: anyone who attempts to threaten, intimidate, or harm our ad-hoc staff, NYSC members, or permanent personnel will be brought to justice under the full weight of the law,” he said.
The INEC Chairman, who was accompanied by National Commissioners, directors and technical aides, disclosed that the South-South engagement was the fifth in a series of zonal assessments, following similar exercises in the South-West, North-West, South-East and North-East.
He explained that his physical presence across the geopolitical zones reflected the Commission’s field-first approach, emphasising that electoral integrity must be established through effective operations at the grassroots.
According to him, the assessment would cover operational preparedness across the 123 Local Government Areas in the six South-South states.
On election security, Prof. Amupitan said INEC had moved away from reactive security arrangements traditionally activated around election day to a proactive, intelligence-driven framework known as the “ICCES Tentacle”.
He explained that the framework was designed to extend inter-agency security coordination from national and state headquarters to local government areas and Registration Area Centres, including remote communities.
He identified three critical pillars of the framework as mapping and mitigating security threats, protecting electoral personnel and infrastructure, and guaranteeing safe access to polling units.
The INEC boss said the security arrangement would provide comprehensive protection for electoral personnel, technological infrastructure, including Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices and server infrastructure, as well as voters.
He added that the framework was intended to ensure that every polling unit, irrespective of its geographical location or history of security challenges, remained safe and accessible for the exercise of democratic rights.
Prof. Amupitan disclosed that the South-South security architecture comprised approximately 60 major operational formations, headquarters and state commands operating under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).
The network, he said, brings together military, naval, air, police and other security and intelligence agencies across the six states.
“Together, this integrated multi-agency network represents the operational backbone that guarantees intelligence-led protection across every riverine creek, coastal axis, and land-based polling unit in the Niger Delta,” he stated.
Providing an overview of the region’s electoral significance, the INEC Chairman said the South-South had the fourth-largest voting bloc in the country, with 15,823,550 registered voters, representing 15.30 per cent of the national register.
Rivers State alone, he said, accounts for 3,736,434 registered voters spread across the 23 local government areas.
Alhaji Abubakar made the demand following revelations that some INEC registration officers allegedly abused their access to the voter registration system to introduce irregular records into the database.
In a statement issued by his Director of Strategic Communications, Mr Phrank Shaibu, the former vice-president described the development as a serious breach of the Commission’s internal safeguards and raised concerns about the integrity of the electoral process.
He urged INEC to identify the officials implicated in the alleged misconduct and explain what disciplinary or legal measures had been taken against them.
Alhaji Abubakar also called for an independent forensic audit of the preliminary voters’ register to establish the scale of the alleged manipulation, identify affected records and determine how the questionable entries were introduced into the system.
He further insisted that INEC preserve all relevant voter records, image files, system access logs and electronic audit trails to prevent the destruction or alteration of evidence before an independent examination could be conducted.
The former vice-president also demanded that the Commission disclose the identities of companies contracted to produce sensitive election materials ahead of the 2027 polls, arguing that transparency was essential to building public confidence in the electoral process.
INEC’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Dr Lawrence Bayode, had earlier disclosed during a television interview that some registration officers across the country allegedly used their official login credentials to introduce irregularities into the voters’ database.
Dr Bayode explained that the Commission’s Automated Biometric Identification System helped identify questionable records and establish how some irregularities entered the system.
He, however, clarified that not all suspicious photographs were AI-generated, as some resulted from poor registration procedures.
The development followed public concerns over suspected AI-generated photographs, alleged duplicate entries and other inconsistencies discovered in the preliminary voters’ register published online on October 26, 2026.
INEC has maintained that the published document is a preliminary register and that it is reviewing questionable records ahead of the certification of the final Register of Voters.
The controversy has intensified calls for greater transparency and accountability in the management of the voters’ register as preparations gather momentum for the 2027 general elections.
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