Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has warned the Federal Government against any action endangering the safety of opposition figure Peter Obi. In a statement issued Thursday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku declared that "nothing must happen to Peter Obi," stating that an injury to one opposition leader diminishes all opposition voices. He emphasized that when citizens fear expressing political beliefs, democracy becomes the casualty. Atiku described the protection of opposition figures like Obi as a constitutional duty of the Nigerian state. His warning follows Obi's recent claims about threats to his safety and alleged targeting of his business interests by the government.
Atiku also called for the immediate release of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, asserting that every Nigerian deserves due process and equal protection under the law regardless of political affiliation. He urged the government to respond to criticism with facts and statesmanship rather than attacks, stressing that democracy should be measured by how it protects those outside power. Atiku criticized the government for focusing on political disputes while the country faces insecurity, poverty, hunger, corruption, and kidnapping. He stated that the opposition is not Nigeria's enemy—poverty, hunger, insecurity, corruption, and kidnapping are. He further appealed for the rescue of Nigerians still held by criminal groups, including abducted schoolchildren and teachers. Atiku insisted justice must not appear selective and that all accused persons, including El-Rufai, are entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
Atiku questions the government's treatment of opposition figures while remaining silent on whether he has offered Obi or El-Rufai direct support. His call for statesmanship rings hollow given his own history of legal actions against critics. He names poverty and insecurity as enemies but does not explain how his past governance addressed them. The real test of his stance will be whether it leads to concrete action or remains rhetorical.
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