Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has declared that recent events in Kaduna, Katsina, and other areas highlight a troubling trend towards authoritarianism under the Tinubu administration.
The Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate in the 2023, also noted in a statement he personally signed, that the recent summons of Nasir el-Rufai and leaders of the ADC in Kaduna, the brazen attack on Abubakar Malami, a former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, as well as the violent disruption of the Katsina Elders Forum meeting on security reforms are not isolated incidents.
” Instead, they signify a coordinated and dangerous assault on dissenting voices, civic freedoms, and the very essence of pluralistic democracy.”
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The African Democratic Congress ADC leader, emphasized that dissent is vital to democracy.
“Criminalizing 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
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He, however, urged all Nigerians, both statesmen and citizens, to recognize the urgency of this moment.
“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.”
