Again, Atiku Tackles FG on Rule of Law, Suppression of Dissent

…Says Govt Sliding Into Authoritarianism
…Warns Against ‘Silencing The Will of the People’

By Yinka Giwa

Former Vice President and main opposition leader, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration of “muzzling free speech” and “eroding the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic ethos,” warning that the country is inching dangerously toward authoritarian rule.

“There is a disturbing yet growing pattern by which the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu continues to muzzle free speech and, in so doing, erode the integrity of the democratic ethos that defines our nation,” Atiku said in an article on Sunday. “It is a development that should trouble every Nigerian, for if this creeping culture of repression continues unchecked, it will ultimately turn the Federal Government into a bully, and make subjects of free citizens.”

Atiku lamented what he described as an escalating campaign of intimidation against journalists, activists, and citizens critical of the government. He said the so-called Cyberstalking Act had become the Tinubu government’s favourite weapon against dissent, likening it to “the infamous Sedition Laws that many civilized nations have long discarded.”

“In the 21st century, it is unthinkable that the Government of Nigeria, or any government, for that matter, should seek to control free speech, that sacred pillar of liberty and the lifeblood of democracy,” he said.

The former vice president, who served from 1999 to 2007, argued that laws curtailing citizens’ right to criticize their leaders were “undemocratic and a direct assault on fundamental human rights.” He said rather than address the widespread hunger, unemployment, and despair gripping the nation, the Tinubu administration has “chosen the path of brute force and intimidation: treating dissent as treason and turning peaceful protesters into prisoners.”

“It is tragic, indeed, that such violations of constitutionally guaranteed rights are occurring at a time when our democracy ought to be maturing,” Atiku said. “We must remind the Tinubu regime that no government, no matter how powerful, is greater than the people. To attempt otherwise is impolitic, preposterous, and destined to fail.”

The opposition leader faulted what he called the government’s “disdain for judicial authority,” saying the repeated arrest of citizens already granted bail by courts, and the use of security forces against peaceful demonstrators, represent “a reckless abuse of power.” He added that the Tinubu administration’s “disregard for the rule of law and persistent disobedience of court orders” had become its most notorious credential.

Human rights organisations such as Amnesty International and Media Rights Agenda have repeatedly accused the government of silencing dissent and intimidating journalists, while the Nigeria Union of Journalists has described recent arrests of reporters as “unconstitutional and dangerous.”

Atiku argued that even institutions meant to check executive power, the legislature, oversight agencies, and the judiciary, have become “mere rubber stamps,” too eager to please the presidency rather than defend the public interest. “Today, President Tinubu and his government behave as though they are sovereigns over the people,” he said. “As they continue to suffocate dissent, they also attempt to subdue opposition parties and silence every voice of reason.”

Reflecting on Nigeria’s democratic journey, Atiku called for renewed civic vigilance, saying the coming 2027 general election will determine whether Nigerians reclaim their democracy or lose it to authoritarianism.

“As a democrat and stakeholder in the opposition, I am convinced that the 2027 general election will be a defining moment, a contest not merely between parties, but between the Tinubu hegemony and the will of the Nigerian people,” he declared. “And history bears eternal witness to one truth: no despot, no matter how powerful, has ever triumphed over the collective voice of a determined people.”