Former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) of being desperate to hold onto power at all costs.
Reacting to recent political unrest in Osun State and the invasion of the Lagos State House of Assembly by security operatives, Atiku alleged that the Tinubu-led government is subverting democracy through political violence and intimidation.
In a statement he personally signed, the former Vice President called on Nigerians to resist any attempt to undermine democratic principles.
He stated:
“Nigerians witnessed a blatant display of lawlessness as the Tinubu-led APC showed the extent of its desperation to cling to power through political brigandage and the subversion of democracy.
“In Osun State, the APC orchestrated a violent attempt to take control of the local government elections using armed thugs and mercenaries. Yet, the national leadership of the party and the presidency remained silent in complicity.
“If not for the courageous resistance of the Osun people, democracy in the state would have been trampled by political marauders acting on the orders of their party leaders.
“Osun State will never bow to anti-democratic forces. The people have proven that they will not allow their electoral rights to be stolen, regardless of the level of intimidation.
Atiku urged security agencies to remain neutral and uphold their duty to protect the democratic process during the elections.
He further accused the APC of abandoning democratic legitimacy in favor of brute force, insisting that Nigerians must remain vigilant against any attempt to subvert democracy.
“President Tinubu and his dwindling group of enablers must stop their reckless political sabotage, not just in Osun or Lagos, but across Nigeria. The people demand governance, not chaos. Nigerians will not stand by while their democracy is hijacked by a regime determined to retain power at any cost. Enough is enough.”
