The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has suspended plans to receive two international peace awards, citing the need to focus on the escalating insecurity challenges in Nigeria.

The awards, which were to be conferred by the Global Peace Movement International, an organisation with presence in 27 countries, and the Association of Young Democrats in Europe, were in recognition of his leadership performance, democratic maturity in handling sensitive national issues, and his role in restoring Nigeria’s membership of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) after decades of suspension.

However, Akpabio said he could not proceed with accepting such honours at a time when many Nigerians are being abducted by criminal elements.

According to him, national attention must be firmly directed toward addressing insecurity, stressing that “all hands must be on deck” to confront the current challenges. He added that the National Assembly would continue to fast-track any legislative intervention required to support the executive in restoring safety across the country.

The Senate President strongly condemned recent attacks on vulnerable targets, particularly schools, describing them as unacceptable and insisting that terrorist groups would not be allowed to overrun the nation. 

He expressed confidence in Nigeria’s security architecture and the armed forces, urging deeper collaboration with international partners to develop lasting solutions.

Reacting to his decision, the organisers of the awards reaffirmed their selection, noting that his action further validated the values that informed his nomination. 

They described his stance as evidence of his commitment to placing national interest above personal recognition, and his concern for the welfare of Nigerians.