By Onyeanya Ebere Immaculata
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of intensifying repression against opposition voices ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Atiku, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), presidential candidate in the 2023 polls, alleged that the government is orchestrating a “calculated assault” on rival politicians and dissenters nationwide.
He cited the police invitation of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and violent attacks on opposition gatherings as evidence of a broader plot to weaken alternative parties before the next election cycle.
Speaking through his Special Assistant on Media, AbdurRashid Shehu Sharada, Atiku accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), of exploiting state power and opposition divisions to suppress dissent.
“From the attack on a former Minister of Justice in Kebbi, where ADC supporters were brutalised, to the disruption of a security meeting in Katsina led by Usman Bugaje, it is clear the government is encouraging political thuggery,” Sharada said.
He noted that the disruption of an ADC meeting in Kaduna attended by El-Rufai was particularly worrisome, stressing that no arrests were made, while opposition leaders were instead summoned for questioning.
Responding, presidential spokesman Abdul’Aziz Abdul’Aziz dismissed Atiku’s claims, saying there is no government-backed clampdown.
He explained that El-Rufai was invited by police over remarks he made at the Kaduna event and reports of armed supporters at the venue.
“As for the incidents in Kebbi and Katsina, the government had no hand in them,” he added.
Political analysts have meanwhile urged both the ruling party and the opposition to de-escalate tensions, warning that rising hostility could endanger Nigeria’s democratic stability.
