ATIKU condemns ‘troubling trend’ of assault against dissenting voices

Saturday, September 6, 2025 -Former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has expressed concern over what he described as a “coordinated and dangerous assault on dissenting voices” in Nigeria.

Atiku’s remarks followed recent incidents, including the police summons of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the attack on former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami, and the disruption of a security meeting organised by the Katsina Elders Forum.

In a statement released via his official X handle on Friday, Atiku said the developments point to “a troubling trend towards authoritarianism” under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

“The summons of Mallam Nasir el-Rufai and leaders of the ADC in Kaduna, the brazen attack on former Attorney General Abubakar Malami, and the violent disruption of the Katsina Elders Forum meeting on security reforms are not isolated incidents. Instead, they signify a coordinated and dangerous assault on dissenting voices, civic freedoms, and the very essence of pluralistic democracy,” the statement read in part.

The former vice president stressed that democracy cannot thrive without dissent, warning that the criminalisation of opposition and the use of security agencies against perceived critics could push Nigeria towards authoritarian rule