Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Tinubu of attempting to undermine Nigeria’s democracy following the controversy over the court ruling affecting the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
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Atiku, in a statement issued on Saturday by his media office in Abuja, described the development as part of an alleged plot to weaken opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general election.
The statement, also shared on X by his aide, Paul Ibe, came after the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja set aside its earlier judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission to register the NDC as a political party.
Atiku warned that any attempt to deregister or frustrate an opposition party through judicial means could pave the way for a one-party state and endanger Nigeria’s democratic stability.
According to him, efforts to restrict political competition or limit the choices available to voters amount to a direct threat to democracy.
“Nigerians are now seeing the true colours of President Tinubu, who pretends to be a democrat, but his body language and the sinister activities of his agents contradict his mouthed commitment to free and fair elections,” Atiku said.
The former vice president said the right of citizens to participate in free, fair and credible elections remains the soul of democracy.
“Participation of citizens in a free, fair and credible poll is the soul of democracy, and any attempt to stifle such freedom of choice could be a trigger to chaos and anarchy,” he stated.
Atiku urged President Tinubu to emulate former Presidents Muhammadu Buhari and Goodluck Jonathan, saying neither administration attempted to deregister opposition parties despite intense political competition.
He argued that a government confident in its popularity and performance should not be afraid of electoral contest.
“If you’re truly popular and your policies have positively bettered the lives of the citizens, you shouldn’t be afraid of a free and fair competition,” he said.
Atiku further accused Tinubu of abandoning the democratic ideals he claimed to have championed during the military era.
“Tinubu cannot be a champion of democracy under military dictatorship and now become the worst enemy of everything that democracy stands for,” he said.
“You can’t attempt to rule the people against their will and still pretend that you’re committed to free and fair elections in 2027.”
The ADC presidential candidate also called on the judiciary to resist political pressure and protect the integrity of the courts.
He said judicial institutions must not allow themselves to be used as instruments of partisan interest, stressing that public confidence in the judiciary must be preserved.
“Governments will come and go. Hence, the judiciary must guard her integrity as the last hope of the masses,” Atiku said.
While acknowledging that Nigeria has many respected judges, Atiku warned that the conduct of a few judicial officers could damage the broader image of the judiciary if not checked.
“There are great judges in Nigeria, but the unchecked excesses of some who allow themselves to become judicial swords in the hands of politicians are capable of damaging the larger image of the judiciary,” he added.
The Lokoja ruling has continued to generate reactions from opposition politicians and stakeholders, with the NDC insisting that it has not been deregistered and that it will challenge the decision at the Court of Appeal.
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