Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has issued a scathing critique of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, warning that Nigeria is sliding into what he describes as a “creeping one-party dictatorship” that threatens the hard-won gains of the June 12 democratic struggle.
In a strongly worded statement commemorating the 32nd anniversary of the June 12, 1993 presidential election—widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest—Atiku decried what he called the “steady dismantling” of the democratic order that emerged in 1999. He said the sacrifices made by pro-democracy heroes like the late MKO Abiola, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, and Alfred Rewane are being dishonoured by the present government.
“The ruling party and its federal government now govern with the unmistakable intent to dominate, subdue, and silence,” Atiku declared.
“Opposition voices are being systematically erased… What we are witnessing is not governance, it is conquest.”
Reflecting on the events of June 12, 1993, Atiku recounted his own role in the struggle for democracy, including stepping aside from a presidential bid to support Abiola. He hailed the courage of those who gave their lives for democracy and warned that their sacrifice is being undermined by the authoritarian tendencies of today’s leadership.
“Those who laid down their lives did not do so for Nigerians to groan under the yoke of authoritarianism and economic suffocation,” he said.
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Atiku’s statement also criticized the Tinubu administration’s alleged nepotism and institutional manipulation, citing the awarding of major infrastructure contracts to cronies and the controversial renaming of national assets in honour of the sitting president.
“Institutions have been weaponized. Policies are crafted not to empower the people but to entrench fear, obedience, and control,” he said.
He stressed that the current state of the nation represents “the lowest ebb in our democratic journey” and called for urgent action to reclaim the spirit of June 12. According to him, the opposition’s ongoing efforts to unite are not about political ambition but about restoring Nigeria’s democratic foundation.
“This is not just a political contest; it is a moral crusade,” he emphasized. “As long as oppression thrives, June 12 lives on, not just as memory, but as movement. The time to rise is now.”
Atiku’s statement is expected to intensify political tensions as Nigeria marks Democracy Day, with many Nigerians grappling with rising inflation, widespread insecurity, and concerns over civic freedoms.