Protect Obi, release El-Rufai, focus on insecurity, Atiku tells FG

Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has asked the federal government to guarantee the safety of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), release Nasir El-Rufai, former Kaduna State governor, and redirect its attention from political opponents to tackling the country’s worsening insecurity and economic hardship.

Atiku, in a statement on Thursday by Phrank Shaibu, his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, said no harm must be allowed to befall Obi, arguing that protecting opposition leaders is a constitutional duty of the government and a key test of Nigeria’s democratic credentials.

Obi had alleged on Wednesday that the federal government was frustrating his activities and targeting opposition figures, saying he may not live to contest the 2027 presidential election.

Reacting, Atiku said, “Nothing must happen to Peter Obi. An injury to one is an injury to all. When one opposition leader is intimidated, every opposition voice is diminished. When one citizen begins to fear because of his political beliefs, democracy itself becomes the casualty.”

The former vice president also criticised the Presidency for responding to Obi’s recent comments with what he described as insults rather than statesmanship, saying democratic governments should address criticism with facts and restraint.

Atiku said political disagreements should never be treated as acts of sabotage, stressing that the country’s real enemies remain poverty, hunger, insecurity, corruption and kidnapping.

“The opposition is not the enemy of Nigeria. Poverty is the enemy. Hunger is the enemy. Insecurity is the enemy. Corruption is the enemy. Kidnapping is the enemy,” Atiku said.

He added that a government that spends more time confronting critics than addressing national challenges has misplaced its priorities.

He noted that while political exchanges dominate public discourse, thousands of Nigerians remain in captivity, with families of abducted schoolchildren, teachers and other victims still awaiting their return.

Atiku also urged the federal government to devote the same energy it deploys in political communication to rescuing kidnapped victims and restoring public confidence in the nation’s security architecture.

The ADC presidential candidate also renewed his call for the release of Nasir El-Rufai,
former Kaduna State governor, saying every Nigerian is entitled to due process and equal protection under the law regardless of political affiliation.

“The continued detention of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has generated widespread public concern. Every Nigerian is entitled to due process, equal protection under the law and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty by a competent court. Justice must never create the appearance of selective application,” he said.