You’re Autocratic, There will be Political Rebellion in 2027, Atiku Charges Tinubu
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu of entrenching authoritarian governance in Nigeria, alleging that his administration has weaponised security agencies and state institutions to silence dissenting voices.
Atiku levelled the accusation in an opinion piece released on Monday, titled “A Nation Gripped in the Throes of Fear.”
He warned that the 2027 general election would determine whether Nigerians submit to what he described as “Tinubu’s hegemony” or reclaim their power at the ballot box.
According to the former vice president, Nigeria under Tinubu has become “a police state where citizens, journalists, and activists are harassed for expressing dissent.”
He criticised the growing use of the Cyberstalking Act to target critics of government policies, describing it as a modern instrument of oppression “reminiscent of colonial sedition laws.”
“No government, no matter how powerful, is greater than the people,” Atiku declared, accusing the Tinubu administration of repeatedly ignoring court rulings and suppressing political opposition through state-controlled agencies.
“Parliament and oversight agencies now appear more eager to praise than to question power,” he said.
Atiku lamented what he called a systematic assault on democracy, claiming the administration had “continued to muzzle free speech and, in so doing, erode the integrity of the democratic ethos that define our nation.”
His remarks follow rising public concern over the government’s handling of protests and criticism, particularly after a string of arrests involving journalists, social media commentators, and civic activists accused of violating the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention) Act.
Human rights groups have also criticised the growing intolerance of dissent, citing the detention of protesters during the #EndBadGovernance demonstrations and the re-arrest of journalists despite being granted bail by competent courts.
Atiku condemned these actions as “an aberration, an affront to freedom,” urging Nigerians and civil society organisations to resist what he described as an emerging culture of fear and repression.
“Rather than listen, the government has chosen the path of brute force and intimidation, treating dissent as treason and turning peaceful protesters into prisoners.
“No responsible administration fires live canisters at peaceful protesters or hides behind ambiguous laws to arrest and re-arrest citizens who have been granted bail by competent courts,” he said.
Atiku, who has remained one of President Tinubu’s fiercest critics since the 2023 general election, expressed optimism that the next national polls would serve as “a defining moment between the Tinubu hegemony and the will of the people.”
