Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has raised alarm over what he described as a growing drift towards authoritarianism under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
In a statement issued on Friday, Atiku cited recent developments in Kaduna and Katsina States, including police invitations to former Kaduna State governor Nasir el-Rufai and leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the attack on the convoy of former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami, and the disruption of a Katsina Elders Forum meeting on security reforms.
Atiku argued that these were not isolated incidents but part of what he called “a coordinated and dangerous assault on dissenting voices, civic freedoms, and the very essence of pluralistic democracy.”
He cautioned against attempts to criminalise opposition, suppress reformist voices, and weaken peaceful civic engagement, stressing that dissent remains a vital component of a functioning democracy.
