Former presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Tinubu of fighting opposition leaders rather than corruption, which he stated was against his mandate to protect democracy and combat crime.
Atiku alleged that the President’s actions are a far cry from his promise to safeguard democracy, and instead, he is using his influence to silence opposition voices and maintain a grip on power.
He described the detention of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), former boss Prof Usman Yusuf, over alleged N4 billion fraud as a clear example of the administration’s desperation to suppress the government’s critics.
The former vice president, who made this allegation through a statement on his social media handle on Friday, added that the timing of Yusuf’s detention was suspicious and politically motivated.
Atiku further criticized the administration for shielding those under investigation, allowing them to operate with impunity while persecuting its critics under the false pretense of combating crime.
According to him, ” Two days ago, the nation was jolted by the arrest of Professor Usman Yusuf, a fierce and unyielding social critic. Though the charges against him have been festering since the previous administration, it is impossible to ignore the strong likelihood that his detention is politically motivated ”
“The Tinubu government, despite being riddled with individuals who themselves are embroiled in scandals and investigations by both local and international authorities, continues to use the very machinery of the state to silence its critics. It weaponizes these pending investigations to suppress all opposition”
“It is absurd that while the administration shelters those under investigation, it continues to exploit state institutions to stifle dissent, all under the false pretense of combating corruption. Even to the most inattentive, it has become glaringly clear that Tinubu is not waging a war on corruption — he is waging a war on the opposition, manipulating the system for his own political advantage”