Tinubu may soon put us all in jail- Atiku

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has again raised alarm over growing intolerance of the current administration, fearing that critics and opposition political party members, face threats of being hounded into jail.

Atiku Abubakar writing in his X handle, cited the recent arrests of critics of the Tinubu’s administration, including the arrest of Omoyele Sowore and Usman Yusuf, a fierce and unyielding social critic.

Atiku Abubakar noted that the “Tinubu government, despite being riddled with individuals who themselves are embroiled in scandals and investigations by both local and international authorities, continues to use the very machinery of the state to silence its critics. It weaponizes these pending investigations to suppress all opposition.”

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The Peoples Democratic Party PDP’s Presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, noted that although the charges against him have been festering since the previous administration, fears that the arrest and detention may be politically motivated.

According to him, “it is impossible to ignore the strong likelihood that his detention is politically motivated.

“It is absurd that while the administration shelters those under investigation, it continues to exploit state institutions to stifle dissent, all under the false pretence of combating corruption.

“Even to the most inattentive, it has become glaringly clear that Tinubu is not waging a war on corruption — he is waging a war on the opposition, manipulating the system for his own political advantage”.

Atiku Abubakar decried what he termed a targeted campaign of harassment against critics of the government, citing the recent arrest and prosecution of Sowore and the addition Yusuf to what he called a “grim roster” of opposition figures under fire.

“At the pace they are going, it seems they may soon find themselves contending with the incarceration of every one of us,” he warned.

The Tinubu administration has faced criticism from the opposition over its handling of dissenting voices, with activists and political analysts warning that such actions could erode public trust and undermine democratic institutions.

The PDP leader had earlier accused President Tinubu of weakening the judiciary and packing the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC with his loyalists to stifle opposition, ahead of the 2027 general election.

He noted that the President is infiltrating the opposition parties by planting his cronies.

According to him, the opposition parties now found themselves fighting for survival, infiltrated by fifth columnists who have been planted within their ranks, ensuring that no party— whether APC or opposition — remains capable of functioning independently of the president’s whims.

“Moreover, the Tinubu administration continues to consolidate its power by packing the Independent National Electoral Commission with loyalists, further hollowing out the institution’s independence and integrity.”