Atiku raises alarm over Nigeria’s dangerous slide toward authoritarianism under Tinubu’s watch 

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has raised alarm over what he described as a dangerous slide toward authoritarianism in Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

 

In a strongly worded statement issued Friday, Atiku cited recent events in Kaduna, Katsina, and other parts of the country as evidence of a troubling trend. These included the summons of former Kaduna State governor Nasir el-Rufai and African Democratic Congress (ADC) leaders in the state, an attack on former Attorney General Abubakar Malami, and the disruption of a Katsina Elders Forum meeting on security reforms.

 

“These incidents are not isolated,” Atiku said. “They signify a coordinated and dangerous assault on dissenting voices, civic freedoms, and the very essence of pluralistic democracy.”

 

He warned that Nigeria risked “slipping into authoritarian rule” if intimidation and the use of security agencies against opposition figures persisted.

 

“No government that resorts to intimidation and uses security agencies as weapons against perceived opponents can genuinely uphold democratic principles,” Atiku noted.

 

The former vice president urged Nigerians across political and social divides to stand up in defense of democratic values. He stressed that the responsibility of safeguarding the Republic should not rest solely on the opposition.

 

“Power is transient, but history will harshly judge those who wield it against the people instead of in their service,” he said. “Nigeria belongs to all of us, not just the ruling party or any single individual.”

 

Atiku, who served as vice president between 1999 and 2007, has remained one of the leading opposition figures since leaving office. His latest statement adds to growing debate about the state of civil liberties under the Ti

nubu government.