Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate for the 2027 election, Atiku Abubakar, has warned the Federal Government against any action that could threaten the safety of opposition leaders, insisting that the protection of Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, is the constitutional responsibility of the Nigerian state.
Atiku also renewed his call for the release of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, saying every Nigerian, regardless of political affiliation, deserves due process and equal protection under the law.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said democracy cannot flourish if opposition figures are forced to operate under fear or intimidation.
He argued that the true test of any democratic government lies not in the powers it exercises, but in how well it protects those who hold opposing views.
“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 weakened. When citizens begin to fear because of their political beliefs, democracy itself is under threat,” the statement said.
The former vice president criticised what he described as the Presidency’s reaction to Obi’s recent comments, urging the government to respond to criticism with facts and restraint instead of personal attacks.
According to him, political disagreement should never be treated as an attack on the state.
“A democratic government should respond with maturity, not insults. When an opposition figure raises concerns about the country or even about personal safety, the government’s duty is to reassure citizens through responsible leadership, not abuse. Democracies grow through dialogue, not hostility,” Atiku said.
He also accused the government of paying more attention to political battles than addressing Nigeria’s worsening security and economic challenges.
“The opposition is not Nigeria’s problem. Poverty is. Hunger is. Insecurity is. Corruption is. Kidnapping is. The daily killings across the country are the real enemies. Any government that spends more time attacking critics than confronting these challenges has lost sight of why it was elected,” he said.
Atiku urged the Federal Government to focus on rescuing Nigerians still being held by kidnappers, noting that many schoolchildren, teachers and other innocent citizens remain in captivity.
“There are families still waiting for abducted children and teachers to return home. Those are the emergencies that deserve the government’s full attention, not endless political confrontations,” he added.
On El-Rufai’s continued detention, Atiku maintained that justice must be based on fairness and constitutional principles rather than politics.
“The continued detention of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has raised serious 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 appear selective,” he said.
He further urged the government to embrace transparency and accountability instead of engaging in political distractions.
“Public trust is not built through propaganda or insults. It is earned through openness, accountability and a willingness to answer legitimate questions. Strong institutions, not political attacks, sustain democracy,” Atiku said.
Warning against what he described as a shrinking democratic space, the former vice president said history would judge leaders by how well they protected citizens, defended justice and preserved democratic values.
“Nothing must happen to Peter Obi. Release Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. Bring home every abducted schoolchild, every teacher and every innocent Nigerian still in the hands of kidnappers. Stop pursuing political opponents and start confronting the crises facing the nation.
“History will not remember how aggressively a government fought its critics. It will remember whether it protected its citizens, upheld justice, rescued the vulnerable and safeguarded democracy,” the statement added.
Atiku’s remarks come amid growing political tensions following recent criticisms of the Tinubu administration by Peter Obi and ongoing concerns from opposition parties and civil society groups over political freedoms and due process.
Obi recently claimed during an interview that he might not be alive to contest the 2027 presidential election and accused the Federal Government of targeting his business interests.
The Federal Government has repeatedly maintained that all its actions are guided by the rule of law and insists that no individual is above the law, regardless of political affiliation.
