Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration of fostering an atmosphere of fear and repression, warning that Nigeria is "fast turning into a police state" where dissent is punished.
In an opinion article titled "A Nation Gripped in the Throes of Fear," released on Monday, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) alleged that the Tinubu government is weaponising state institutions to silence critics, suppress opposition, and undermine the rule of law.
Atiku criticised the use of the Cyberstalking Act to prosecute journalists, activists, and citizens who speak against the government, describing the law as "a modern tool of tyranny reminiscent of colonial sedition laws."
"Under the obnoxious Cyberstalking Act, this government has metamorphosed into a leviathan, one that thrives on fear and seeks to silence the very voices that sustain democracy. Any law that suppresses citizens’ right to criticise their leaders is undemocratic and an assault on fundamental human rights," Atiku said.
The former vice president said Nigeria’s democratic institutions, including the legislature and oversight agencies, have grown increasingly subservient, adding that "parliament and oversight agencies now appear more eager to praise than to question power."
He further accused the Tinubu administration of consistently disobeying court orders and using security agencies to intimidate opposition figures, journalists, and protesters.
"Rather than listen to the cries of citizens who can no longer bear the weight of bad governance, the government has chosen the path of brute force and intimidation, treating dissent as treason and turning peaceful protesters into prisoners," he said.
He lamented what he described as the government’s "disregard for the rule of law" and urged Nigerians to resist what he termed a "creeping culture of fear."
Atiku also framed the 2027 general election as a decisive moment in the nation’s democratic history, describing it as "a contest not merely between parties, but between the Tinubu hegemony and the will of the Nigerian people."
"We must remind the Tinubu regime that no government, no matter how powerful, is greater than the people. History bears eternal witness to one truth: no despot, no matter how powerful, has ever triumphed over the collective voice of a determined people," he said.
The presidency has yet to issue a response to Atiku’s comments as of the time of filing this report.
READ ALSO: Paul Biya Re-elected for Eighth Term as Cameroon's President at 92
Comments
Post a Comment