Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, has cautioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that Peter Obi — the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress — must not be harmed in any way.
Atiku gave the warning in a statement by his spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, on Thursday.
The warning appears to be linked to Peter Obi’s recent public expression of concern about threats to his life during an interview, ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The alarm has since stirred concerns among Nigerians who condemned the threats to life over politics.
However, in a terse statemnet, Atiku noted that the safety of every opposition leader is a constitutional obligation of the Nigerian state and a test of its democratic credentials.
“Nothing should happen to Peter Obi. An attack on one person is an attack on everyone. When any opposition leader is harassed or intimidated, it weakens the voice of all opposition figures. Once citizens start living in fear because of their political views, democracy itself suffers.”
“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,” he stated. Newspot.
