Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of systematically weakening Nigeria’s democratic institutions and targeting opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a Democracy Day statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, Atiku said June 12, which should be a celebration of democratic governance and popular sovereignty, has instead become a moment for Nigerians to reflect on what he described as the gradual erosion of democratic ideals.
According to him, the country has witnessed a deliberate campaign over the past three years to weaken opposition parties through leadership crises, political intimidation, orchestrated defections and the alleged misuse of state institutions.
“Over the past three years, Nigerians have witnessed a deliberate and coordinated effort to weaken, fragment, and neutralise opposition political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections,” he said.
The former vice president alleged that institutions meant to operate independently have increasingly been used to suppress opposition voices.
“Financial crimes agencies, the police, the National Assembly, and even segments of the judiciary have been deployed to harass, intimidate, and coerce opposition voices into submission or defection,” Atiku stated.
He also criticised the Electoral Act 2026, claiming it contains provisions that favour the ruling party, while arguing that freedom of speech, freedom of association and media independence have come under pressure.
Atiku said such developments run contrary to the spirit and legacy of the June 12 struggle, which he described as a defining moment in Nigeria’s democratic history.
Reflecting on his role in the pro-democracy movement, the former vice president recalled resisting military rule and paying a personal price for his stance.
“I speak not as a distant observer but as one who paid a personal price in the struggle to enthrone democratic governance in our country,” he said.
“My businesses were confiscated. An assassination attempt was launched against me and my family in Kaduna. Several police officers lost their lives in that attack, and I was forced into exile.”
Atiku also referenced the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, noting that he stepped aside during the Social Democratic Party’s presidential primaries to allow the late Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola to emerge as the party’s candidate.
He stressed that Nigeria’s democracy was secured through sacrifice rather than handed down by leaders, paying tribute to those who lost their lives in the struggle against military rule, including MKO Abiola, Kudirat Abiola, Alfred Rewane and Shehu Musa Yar’Adua.
The ADC presidential candidate warned that Nigeria now faces what he called an emerging civilian authoritarian order.
“Unlike military dictatorship, which ruled by decrees and brute force, this new authoritarianism seeks legitimacy through institutions it has steadily captured and weakened,” he said.
“The warning signs are everywhere.”
Atiku listed shrinking civic space, a compromised electoral environment, intimidation of opposition figures, the weaponisation of poverty and the weakening of democratic institutions as indicators of democratic decline.
He further alleged that there are growing concerns the current administration could seek to influence the outcome of the 2027 elections or undermine the democratic process if it cannot secure victory through the ballot box.
Calling for national unity, Atiku pledged to work with political parties, civil society groups, labour unions, professional bodies and youth organisations to defend constitutional democracy.
“The task before us transcends partisan politics. It is a national duty,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant in protecting democratic values and resisting what he described as democratic backsliding.
“The struggle continues,” he said.
“And just as we marched before, we must be prepared to march again.”
