Abuja, Nigeria — June 12, 2025
Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has issued a blistering critique of the current administration, warning that Nigeria’s democracy is being hijacked by what he described as a “creeping one-party dictatorship.”
Marking the 32nd anniversary of the historic June 12, 1993 presidential election, widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest, Atiku took to his official X (formerly Twitter) handle to sound the alarm over what he calls the erosion of hard-won democratic values.
> “Thirty-two years ago, Nigeria stood on the cusp of greatness,” Atiku recalled. “The winds of democratic change were sweeping through Africa, and all eyes turned to our nation with hope… It was a moment of great promise and great sacrifice.”
Reflecting on his personal involvement in that pivotal period, Atiku recounted his decision to set aside his own presidential ambition in 1993 in support of the late Chief MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the annulled election. He hailed the sacrifices of fallen pro-democracy heroes, including Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, Tafida Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, and Alfred Rewane, asserting that their memory “must never be forgotten.”
But in a scathing indictment of today’s political landscape, Atiku declared that the spirit of June 12 is under siege.
> “Sadly, the democratic promise that blossomed in 1999 is being steadily dismantled before our very eyes,” he said. “What we are witnessing is not governance, it is conquest.”
According to Atiku, the ruling party now operates with an “unmistakable intent to dominate, subdue, and silence.” He accused the federal government of suppressing opposition voices, weaponizing institutions, and turning the Nigerian state into a vehicle for elite self-interest.
He alleged that multi-billion-naira contracts are being awarded to cronies and family associates of the president, while national institutions are being renamed in honour of the current occupant of Aso Rock “as though the country were a private estate.”
> “This government represents the lowest ebb in our democratic journey,” Atiku declared. “Policies are crafted not to empower the people but to entrench fear, obedience, and control.”
Describing the situation as a moral emergency, he emphasized that the ongoing effort to unite the opposition is not a mere political contest, but a “moral crusade” aimed at restoring the country’s democratic integrity.
> “It is about reclaiming Nigeria for Nigerians and safeguarding the future of generations unborn… As long as oppression thrives, June 12 lives on — not just as memory, but as movement,” he concluded.
Atiku’s fiery remarks come amid growing public frustration over economic hardship, perceived nepotism, and what critics describe as the shrinking space for dissent under the current administration.
With his bold declaration, the former Vice President has positioned himself at the center of what may become a defining political battle for Nigeria’s democratic soul.
PIONEER NEWS 