Former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration of turning Nigeria into a dictatorship.
Atiku made this claim on Sunday in a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, following a solidarity visit to former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai.
The visit came after El-Rufai was reportedly attacked by suspected thugs during the inauguration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) office in Kaduna State. Atiku alleged that the attackers were sponsored by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“This evening, I paid a solidarity visit to former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, over his attack by APC-sponsored thugs at the recent inauguration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Kaduna State,” Atiku stated.
He went on to issue a strong warning about the state of the country’s democracy, saying President Tinubu’s administration has become the biggest threat since Nigeria returned to civilian rule in 1999.
“I reiterated that the activities of the Tinubu-led APC administration pose the greatest risk to our democracy since the return of democratic governance,” he wrote.
Atiku didn’t mince words, declaring that the current government has “turned into a full-blown dictatorship.”
The former vice president’s remarks add to a growing list of criticisms against the Tinubu administration, which has faced backlash in recent months over the rising cost of living, insecurity, clampdown on dissent, and poor economic policies.
While the presidency is yet to officially respond to Atiku’s latest statement, this is not the first time he has accused the Tinubu administration of undermining democratic principles.
El-Rufai, a former APC chieftain and close ally of Tinubu, has also recently been at odds with the party leadership, fuelling rumours of his possible defection or alignment with opposition forces.
Atiku’s warning is the latest in a series of bold statements as he continues to position himself as a leading voice of the opposition.
