Atiku Accuses Tinubu of Exerting ‘Oppressive Control’ Worse Than Military Dictatorship

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration and security agencies to shift their focus towards addressing the true sources of violence in Nigeria. Atiku made these remarks following what he described as an increasing pattern of intimidation and repression under Tinubu’s leadership.

In a post shared on his verified Facebook page on Tuesday, the former Vice President condemned what he sees as an unprecedented level of control imposed by the current administration, claiming it surpasses even the most repressive periods of military rule in Nigeria’s history.

Atiku’s comments came in response to the arrest of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Joe Ajaero, by the Department of State Services (DSS) on Monday. Ajaero was apprehended at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport while on his way to the UK for official business. On the same day, the DSS also raided the Abuja office of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP). Ajaero was held in custody throughout the day and was only released late Monday night.

In his statement, Atiku noted that Ajaero’s arrest was emblematic of the Tinubu administration’s broader agenda to intimidate and silence organized labor.

“The escalating assault on civil society and the media by the Bola Tinubu administration is profoundly disturbing,” Atiku said. “The level of oppressive control now imposed surpasses even the harshest days of military dictatorship. The recent arrest of Mr. Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, while en route to an official event, epitomizes this regime’s relentless campaign to intimidate and subdue organized labor.”

Atiku further criticized the DSS raid on SERAP, describing it as an attack on Nigeria’s democratic principles.

He continued, “Just days prior, security forces detained a journalist, only to later claim it was a grievous error. What if the outcome had been fatal? Now, Tinubu’s regime extends its repressive grasp to encroach upon SERAP, an action that stands as a grave affront to our democratic values. This siege is anathema to the principles of freedom and justice.”

Atiku urged the Tinubu administration to direct its energy and resources towards confronting the real threats to national security, including terrorists and bandits, rather than targeting civil society and labor groups.

“Tinubu and his security apparatus must redirect their fervor and intimidation towards the true perpetrators of violence — terrorists and bandits — who are inflicting immeasurable suffering upon the Nigerian people,” he added.

The recent incidents have sparked widespread concern about the shrinking space for civil liberties and the growing militarization of governance under President Tinubu’s rule.