Senate President Godswill Akpabio has expressed bold optimism that Nigeria will finally crush banditry and insurgency by the year 2026.
Speaking on Friday, December 26, 2025, during a traditional family prayer and fasting service at the Methodist Church Nigeria, Cathedral of Unity in Ukana Ikot Ntuen, Akpabio linked the nation’s security prospects to both spiritual hope and recent shifts in international military cooperation.
In a message blending the religious significance of the season with national security policy, the Senate President used the birth of Jesus Christ as a metaphor for Nigeria’s “redemption” from crime:
“By the reason of the birth of Jesus Christ, Nigerians will be redeemed from banditry and insurgency in the new year (2026) and beyond,” Akpabio declared.
He specifically cited renewed collaboration with international partners, referencing the recent U.S. airstrikes in Sokoto, as a decisive factor that would tilt the scales in favor of the Nigerian state.
Akpabio urged Nigerians to set aside “political, ethnic, and religious differences” to support President Bola Tinubu’s administration, arguing that national development is impossible without a foundation of peace.
This assurance comes as the National Assembly prepares to deliberate on the 2026 Appropriation Bill, which has been dubbed the “Budget of Consolidation and Shared Prosperity”.
The Senate President also emphasized that security begins at the grassroots. Alongside his wife, Mrs. Ekaette Unoma Akpabio, he called for a return to family values, stating that “unity within the family is the foundation for national cohesion.”
He appealed to the Greater Akpabio Family and political office holders to remain connected to their roots and prioritize the welfare of their constituents to discourage the social conditions that lead to criminality.
