Olu Samuel
The Senator representing Kogi West, Sunday Karimi had said that the escalating instances of insurgency and terrorism were to frustrate the 2027 polls.
Karimi, in a statement made available to newsmen in Lokoja on Sunday, his Media officer, Tosin Busayo, said that he is convinced that the unabating trend is not unrelated to the 2027 general elections.
This coming in the heels of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) last week, release of the timetable for the forthcoming full-cycle polls.
While the presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for Saturday February 20, 2027, governorship and state assembly polls will hold two weeks later on Saturday March 6, 2027.
The Senator explained that in spite of several proactive measures aimed at tackling the security situations in several parts of the country,the perpetrator were bent on frustrating government efforts so at to hinder smooth electioneering process come 2027.
“Security operations are proceeding simultaneously in Kwara, Nasarawa, Plateau, Benue and Taraba states where President Bola Tinubu through the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Waidi Shaibu has deployed special battalions.
Nonetheless, kidnappers, murderers and terrorists continue to fester in parts of the country, leaving trails of anguish, blood and devastation. Despite these concurrent security operations, a terrorist group in Kwara State at the weekend paraded about 200 captives from a recent vicious attack on Woro community in Kaiama local government area in northern Kwara State”.
Karimi pointed out “there is a nexus between the forthcoming general polls and the unabating insecurity in the country.”
According to Karimi, certain interests and tendencies are resolved to continue to make the country ungovernable with the ultimate aim of disrupting the forthcoming general elections.
His words: “The correlation is all too glaring. Against all odds, President Bola Tinubu has continued to record landmark successes across sectors.
The economy is on the rebound; prices of products are lowering; government is paying university dons 40 per cent more than they previously earned; foreign reserves in less than than three years are nestling close to $50Billion; the naira has dropped below N1400 to the dollar.
Despite these heartwarming developments, certain perverts remain averse to the gradual resurgence of the socio economy.”
Senator Karimi who is also the Chairman of the Committee on Senate Services, noted that the Tinubu administration has welcomed foreign collaboration in addressing the nation’s security challenges, alluding to the Christmas day intelligence-led bombing of parts of Sokoto State by the United States military.
Detachments of US troops have also set boot on Nigerian soil, to bolster the training and intelligence-gathering capabilities of the nation’s military.
The President also recently paid a state visit to Turkey during which military cooperation was one of the highpoints of engagements with his host, President Tayyip Erdogan.
” All of these in addition to preexisting military operations with neighbouring countries, namely Chad, Niger, Cameroon and Benin Republic, to rout undesirables unsettling the country”. He said.
Karimi expressed the hope that the recent reorganisation of the nation’s military by the President and the continue rejigging of operational strategies will yield fruit sooner than later.
“It is reassuring that the Minister for Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa has hinted about possible recourse to our abundant pool of retired military personnel to secure ungoverned spaces across the country.
These initiatives will complement the subsisting deployment of forest guards in parts of the country, another initiative of the Tinubu administration.
Mr President has also approved the recruitment of 50,000 police constables to improve the personnel strength of the Nigeria Police Force, all in response to the nation’s security realities,” Karimi observed.
Senator Karimi assured that the National Assembly will continue to support the President in his commitment to deliver good governance, tangible dividends of democracy and the quality and credibility of election in 2027, which Nigerians will be proud of.
“Our country will overcome these challenges. Our rebound within the past 32 months has been applauded by the World Bank at the level of the Managing Director for Operations, Anna Bjerde, who commended the nation’s economic reforms as a global example of consistent and credible leadership.
When a nation like Nigeria which provides the oxygen for growth in the subregion is getting it right, antagonists are not farfetched. Nigerians should rest assured by the President’s reassurance at the recent National Economic Council, (NEC) meeting, that we shall overcome terrorism and insecurity.” He added.