Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu of deploying repressive tactics to silence opposition figures ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Atiku, in a statement released through his Special Assistant on Media, AbdurRashid Shehu Sharada, described recent developments as “a calculated assault” on opposition leaders and dissenting voices across the country.
He cited the police invitation of former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, and attacks on political gatherings as part of an alleged plan to weaken parties capable of challenging the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
“From the attack on a former Minister of Justice in Kebbi State, where our African Democratic Congress (ADC) supporters were brutalised, to the disruption of an elder’s security meeting in Katsina led by Usman Bugaje, it is obvious that the government is encouraging political thuggery,” Atiku said.
He expressed particular concern over the disruption of an ADC meeting in Kaduna, which El-Rufai attended, noting that instead of prosecuting those who carried out the attacks, police invited opposition leaders for questioning.
However, presidential spokesperson Abdul’Aziz Abdul’Aziz dismissed Atiku’s claims, insisting that there was no government-backed clampdown on opposition.
He explained that El-Rufai’s invitation by the police was linked to comments he made at the Kaduna event and reports of armed supporters being present. “As for the incidents in Kebbi and Katsina, the government had no hand in them,” Abdul’Aziz added.
