Former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has issued a scathing condemnation of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing the Bola Tinubu-led government of orchestrating a brazen assault on democracy in Osun State.
Taking to his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, Atiku declared that Nigerians witnessed a chilling display of lawlessness, as the APC laid bare its desperation to cling to power at all costs—through political brigandage and the subversion of democratic principles.
Atiku alleged that in Osun State, the APC unleashed an orchestrated assault on the electoral process, deploying armed thugs and political mercenaries in a desperate bid to seize control of all 30 local government area council secretariats. He described the attack as a ruthless attempt to hijack the local government elections through brute force, while the APC’s national leadership and the presidency watched in complicit silence.
“Had it not been for the fearless resistance of the Osun people—who stood their ground against APC’s rampaging foot soldiers—democracy in the state would have been trampled under the boots of political marauders acting at the behest of their party’s overlords,” Atiku stated.
The former vice president insisted that Osun State will never bow to anti-democratic forces, commending the resilience of its citizens. He urged security agencies deployed for the elections to uphold their constitutional duty with professionalism and refuse to be used as enforcers of APC’s “criminal agenda.”
Atiku further warned that these are dangerous times, accusing the APC of abandoning any pretense of democratic legitimacy and resorting instead to brute force to maintain control, despite being “overwhelmingly rejected by the people.”
“We commend the brave citizens of Osun for standing up to the tyranny that sought to break them. Their resilience is a beacon of hope in the face of unrelenting oppression,” he added.
Atiku did not hold back in his critique of President Bola Tinubu and the ruling party, warning that their reckless acts of political sabotage are not limited to Osun or Lagos but extend across Nigeria.
“The people demand governance, not chaos. Nigerians will not sit idly while their democracy is hijacked by a power-drunk regime intent on setting the country on fire. Enough is enough.”
Atiku’s fiery statement has once again brought to the forefront concerns over electoral integrity, political violence, and the future of Nigeria’s democracy. With growing tensions and an increasingly volatile political climate, many Nigerians are left wondering: Is the country on the brink of a democratic crisis?
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