Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed concern that recent incidents in Kaduna, Katsina, and other regions indicate a disturbing shift toward authoritarianism under President Tinubu’s government.
The 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, in a statement he personally signed, pointed to the recent summons of Kaduna’s Nasir El-Rufai and ADC leaders, the violent attack on former Attorney General Abubakar Malami, and the disruption of the Katsina Elders Forum meeting on security reforms as interconnected events.
”Instead, they signify a coordinated and dangerous assault on dissenting voices, civic freedoms, and the very essence of pluralistic democracy.”
Atiku, a key leader in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), stressed that dissent is essential for democracy.
“Criminalising opposition, attacking reformist voices, and undermining peaceful civic engagement erode the foundations of our Republic.
“No government that resorts to intimidation and uses security agencies as weapons against perceived opponents can genuinely uphold democratic principles.
Without a doubt, Nigeria is dangerously close to slipping into authoritarian rule if these patterns of repression continue unabated. We cannot afford to return to an era marked by fear, silence, and impunity,” he said.
The former PDP chieftain called on all Nigerians, including statesmen and citizens, to recognise the situation’s urgency.
“Defending our democracy cannot be the sole responsibility of the opposition; it is a collective national duty. Power is transient, but history will harshly judge those who wield it against the people instead of in their service.
“Nigeria belongs to all of us, not just the ruling party or any single individual.
“We must not allow the principles of liberty, justice, and the rule of law to be undermined by partisan desperation.”
