Former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has issued a scathing warning to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accusing his administration of orchestrating chaos in Osun and Lagos States as part of a broader assault on democracy.
Atiku’s fiery statement comes in the wake of a violent crisis in Osun State, where gunmen reportedly killed the recently reinstated Chairman of Irewole Local Government, Remi Abass, and five others on Monday. The attack allegedly occurred when Abass and his supporters arrived at the local government secretariat, only to be ambushed by suspected political thugs.
Security operatives from the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS) have since arrested several individuals believed to be involved in the unrest. However, the tension in Osun has continued to escalate amid allegations of political interference by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, had earlier raised alarm over an alleged plot by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, to destabilize the state. Adeleke accused Oyetola of unlawfully directing security agencies to facilitate the return of sacked local government chairmen—a move he described as a blatant disregard for the rule of law.
Reacting to the unfolding turmoil, Atiku, in a strongly worded statement on Tuesday, accused Tinubu’s administration of deploying armed thugs to forcefully seize control of all 30 local government secretariats in Osun. He described the events as a dangerous precedent, warning that Nigeria was on the brink of democratic collapse under Tinubu’s watch.
“Nigerians bore witness to a chilling display of lawlessness yesterday, as the Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) exposed the depths of its desperation to retain power at all costs—through sheer political brigandage and the subversion of democracy.”
> “In Osun State, the APC orchestrated a full-scale assault on the democratic process, attempting to hijack the local government elections through brute force. Armed thugs and mercenaries, operating under the party’s protection, launched an audacious bid to seize control of all 30 local government area council secretariats. And yet, the so-called national leadership of the APC and the presidency watched in complicit silence.”
Atiku praised the people of Osun for their courage in resisting what he described as an “anti-democratic onslaught” by the ruling party.
> “Had it not been for the fearless resistance of the Osun people—who stood their ground against the 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.”
The former vice president further alleged that the APC’s tactics in Osun were part of a larger pattern of democratic subversion across the country. He called on security agencies to maintain neutrality and resist being used as “enforcers” for the ruling party’s alleged agenda of electoral manipulation.
> “The APC has abandoned any pretense of democratic legitimacy, resorting instead to brute force in its bid to cling to power, even as the people have overwhelmingly rejected it.”
> “Tinubu’s APC has left no doubt—it will stop at nothing to subvert democracy and impose itself against the will of the people. But Nigerians must resist. The time-honored warning remains true: eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”
Atiku urged the Tinubu-led government to halt its alleged political sabotage, not just in Osun and Lagos but 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.”
With the political landscape heating up and accusations of electoral interference mounting, the unfolding crisis in Osun has sparked nationwide concerns about the future of democracy in Nigeria. As the country inches closer to another election cycle, the battle for power is becoming increasingly fierce—raising fears of deeper political unrest if urgent steps are not taken to uphold democratic principles.
Will Tinubu’s government heed Atiku’s warning, or will Nigeria witness further political turbulence? The coming days will reveal whether democracy will prevail or whether the country will be plunged into deeper chaos.
PIONEER NEWS 