Senate President Godswill Akpabio has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reconsider the recent directive withdrawing police officers attached to Very Important Persons (VIPs), warning that some lawmakers may not be able to return home safely without proper security arrangements.
Akpabio made the plea on Friday ahead of President Tinubu’s presentation of the ₦58.18 trillion 2026 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly.
While welcoming the President and commending the administration’s reforms over the past year, he expressed concern over the withdrawal of police personnel.
“Very passionately and boldly, let me say, Mr. President, the National Assembly is ready for you. We are ready to receive the 2026 budget.
But as we direct the security agencies to withdraw policemen from critical areas, some members have expressed that they may not be able to go home safely today,” Akpabio said.
He pleaded for a review of the decision, stressing the need to maintain the safety of lawmakers.
The police withdrawal affected 11,566 personnel who were previously assigned to VIPs nationwide, according to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun.
The officers are being redeployed to core policing duties as part of broader reforms in the Nigeria Police Force.
Akpabio reiterated the appeal, emphasizing that the move could leave senators vulnerable: “We want to ensure that no lawmaker may not be able to go home because of a lack of security.”
President Tinubu, meanwhile, presented the 2026 budget as a milestone for fiscal discipline and governance, titled “Budget of Consolidation, Renewed Resilience and Shared Prosperity,” aimed at consolidating recent economic reforms and improving living standards for Nigerians.