Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has raised the alarm over the alleged plan by the Federal Government to arrest opposition leaders, warning that the move could destabilize the country’s already fragile democracy.
Atiku alleged that the govt arrest of opposition leaders was a strategy to silence its critics, describing the move as a character of an autocractic government.
The former presidential candidate, made this allegation hours after a former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore and National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) retired boss, Prof. Usman Yusuf, were taken to court over their criticism against the president Bola Tinubu -led administration
In a statement issued by the serial presidential candidate, through his social media handle on Thursday, he claimed that the ruling party, All Progressive Congress (APC), is devoting its energies to the systematic harassment and intimidation of the opposition.
According to him, ” When I made the clarion call that Tinubu and the APC were devoting their energies to the systematic harassment, intimidation, and dismantling of the opposition, all in service of their grand design for a one-party autocracy, I became the target of vicious attacks ”
” The arrest and baseless prosecution of Sowore is the latest chapter in this unrelenting campaign. Now, they have seen fit to add Professor Usman Yusuf — an outspoken critic of this administration — into their grim roster. At the pace they are going, it seems they may soon find themselves contending with the incarceration of every one of us”.
Atiku, one of the strongest opposition voices in Nigeria, has been quite vocal against Tinubu and emphasized the importance of synergy among the challenging parties to wrest power from APC.
Last week, he accused APC of paying out 50 million naira to some prominent figures to weaken opposition parties. However, the party clapped back saying Atiku has continued to point fingers at them to distract from the fact that his own party is destabilized.
The ruling party also criticized other opposition leaders, including former Anambra Governor Peter Obi and its statesman Nasir El-Rufai, saying that suggestions that the party may be complicit in the internal corrosion of opposition parties are pitiful and only an incompetent failure to manage their own affairs.
