Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has raised concerns about what he described as an increasing wave of repression, intimidation, and abuse of power under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. In a strongly worded statement titled “A Nation Gripped in the Throes of Fear”, Atiku warned that Nigeria was fast becoming a police state, where citizens, journalists, and activists are harassed for expressing dissenting views.

The 2023 PDP presidential candidate accused the government of misusing laws such as the Cyberstalking Act to target critics, calling it “a modern tool of tyranny reminiscent of colonial sedition laws.” Atiku cautioned that no government, regardless of its power, should be above the will of the people. He further alleged that state institutions were being weaponised to silence opposition and ignore court rulings, undermining Nigeria’s democracy ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Atiku lamented the growing silence of the legislature and other oversight bodies, which he said now “praise rather than question power.” He expressed concern that the Tinubu administration had gone beyond previous governments in using state machinery to suppress public opinion and freedom of speech.

He pointed out that journalists and citizens continue to face persecution for speaking against the government or joining peaceful protests, referencing the #EndBadGovernance and #FreeNnamdiKanuNow demonstrations. The former Vice President cited reports from Amnesty International, the Nigeria Union of Journalists, and Media Rights Agenda, all of which have criticised the government’s human rights record.

Atiku concluded by saying that the 2027 election would be a defining moment for Nigeria, a contest “between the Tinubu hegemony and the will of the Nigerian people.” He expressed confidence that no administration could permanently silence the collective voice of the citizens, declaring, “No despot, no matter how powerful, has ever triumphed over the will of a determined people.”