Atiku accuses Tinubu of eroding civil liberties, warns of emerging police state

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu of pushing Nigeria toward what he termed a “police state,” where dissenting voices, journalists, and activists are being suppressed through intimidation and misuse of state power.

In a statement released on Monday titled “A Nation Gripped in the Throes of Fear,” Atiku alleged that the current administration is increasingly resorting to coercive tactics and the abuse of government institutions to silence opposition.

He described the 2027 general elections as a “defining contest between the Tinubu hegemony and the will of the people.”

Atiku criticised the government’s enforcement of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention) Act, calling it a “modern tool of oppression reminiscent of colonial sedition laws.”

He stressed that “no government, no matter how powerful, is greater than the people.”

The former vice president also accused the Tinubu administration of ignoring court orders and weakening oversight institutions, turning them into bodies that “praise rather than question those in power.”

He warned that such tendencies undermine Nigeria’s democratic foundations.

Atiku’s remarks come amid growing outrage over the government’s handling of dissent and protests.

The recent arrests of journalists, activists, and social media users under cyberstalking charges have drawn criticism from human rights organisations such as Amnesty International and Media Rights Agenda.

Condemning the detention of demonstrators during the #EndBadGovernance protests, Atiku described the government’s response as “an affront to freedom and an aberration in a democracy.”

He urged Nigerians and civil society groups to “resist the creeping culture of repression and reclaim their democratic rights.”

“Instead of engaging citizens, the government has chosen intimidation—treating dissent as treason and turning peaceful protesters into prisoners,” he said.

“No responsible administration fires live canisters at unarmed citizens or uses vague laws to re-arrest individuals already granted bail.”

A consistent critic of the Tinubu government since the 2023 elections, Atiku reaffirmed his belief that Nigerians would ultimately prevail in defending their democratic rights, describing the 2027 polls as a chance to “restore the nation’s democratic integrity.”