Atiku Condemns Crackdown On Opposition Leaders.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned recent developments in Kaduna, Katsina, and other parts of the country, describing them as a dangerous assault on civic freedoms under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

Atiku also raised the alarm over what he described as growing authoritarian tendencies under the President Bola Tinubu administration. Atiku in a statement posted in his official X account, formerly Twitter, warned that criminalizing opposition and undermining peaceful civic engagement could push Nigeria dangerously close to authoritarian rule. The full statement as uploaded on his X account is reproduced below.

" The recent events in Kaduna, Katsina, and other areas highlight a troubling trend towards authoritarianism under the Tinubu administration.

The summons of Mallam Nasir el-Rufai and leaders of the ADC in Kaduna, the brazen attack on former Attorney General Abubakar Malami, and 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.

It is important to emphasize 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.

I urge 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."

In conclusion, Atiku stated that " 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. "