Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress ADC, Atiku Abubakar, has warned Nigerian authorities to ensure that nothing happens to former Anambra state Governor and Presidential candidate of NDC, Peter Obi.
Atiku in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, stressed that the safety of every opposition leader is a constitutional obligation of the Nigerian state and a test of its democratic credentials.
“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 diminished. When one citizen begins to fear because of his political beliefs, democracy itself becomes the casualty,” Atiku cautioned.
While also reiterating his call for the release of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, the former Vice President noted that the true measure of any democracy is not how comfortably those in power wield authority, but how safely those outside power can exercise their constitutional rights.
Warning that history has never been kind to governments that elevate political combat above the welfare and security of their citizens, the ADC presidential candidate invoked a proverb to drive home his point.
“Our elders say: ‘When the drums of injustice beat for your neighbour, do not dance, for tomorrow they may beat for you.’ Every Nigerian, regardless of political affiliation, has a stake in defending the democratic space.
“Nothing must happen to Peter Obi. Release Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. Bring home every abducted schoolchild, every teacher and every innocent Nigerian still languishing in the hands of kidnappers. Stop chasing political opponents and start confronting the crises that are bleeding our nation,” he emphasized.
The ADC Presidential candidate reminded them that history would not remember how fiercely a government fought its critics, but whether it protected its citizens, upheld justice, rescued the vulnerable and preserved the democracy entrusted to its care.
He expressed deep worry over the Presidency’s response to Obi’s public comments with personal insults and derogatory language rather than the restraint expected of a democratic government.
Atiku therefore warned that reducing political engagement to name-calling demeans the Office of the President and risks inflaming an already tense political atmosphere.
“The Presidency must understand that democratic leadership demands composure, not contempt. When a citizen, particularly an opposition figure, voices concerns about the state of the nation or his personal safety, the first duty of government is to reassure through statesmanship, facts and responsible conduct—not through insults. Democracies are strengthened by reasoned engagement, not by invective. A government that answers every criticism with abuse projects insecurity, not confidence.
“The opposition is not the enemy of Nigeria. Poverty is the enemy. Hunger is the enemy. Insecurity is the enemy. Corruption is the enemy. Kidnapping is the enemy. The daily bloodletting across our communities is the enemy. A government that devotes more energy to attacking its critics than confronting these existential challenges has confused political survival with the purpose of governance,” the former VP pointed out
On El-Rufai, the ADC Presidential hopeful said: “The continued detention of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has generated widespread public concern. Every Nigerian, irrespective of political affiliation, 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 create the appearance of selective applications,” he said.
Recall, Obi, had during a recent interview said he may not be alive to contest next year’s presidential election.
