Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed deep concern over what he describes as the “oppressive control” exercised by President Bola Tinubu’s administration, which he believes exceeds even the most repressive periods of Nigeria’s military dictatorship.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Atiku condemned what he called an “escalating assault” on civil society and the media, orchestrated by Tinubu’s government.
Atiku highlighted the recent arrest of Joe Ajaero, the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), as a clear example of the government’s ongoing efforts to intimidate and suppress organized labor. Ajaero was arrested while en route to an official engagement, a move that Atiku described as part of a broader campaign by the regime to subdue labor unions and stifle opposition.
The former vice president also pointed to a recent incident involving the wrongful detention of a journalist by security forces, emphasizing the potential for dire consequences in such situations. He questioned what would have happened if the arrest had led to a fatal outcome, underscoring the severity of the situation.
Additionally, Atiku criticized the government’s targeting of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), describing this as a grave attack on Nigeria’s democratic values. He argued that such actions run counter to the principles of freedom and justice, which are foundational to the nation’s democracy.
The 2023 presidential candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) urged Tinubu and his security agencies to redirect their efforts towards addressing the real sources of violence in the country, namely terrorists and bandits, who are causing immense suffering for the Nigerian populace.
This statement follows the recent arrest of Joe Ajaero by the Department of State Services (DSS). Ajaero was detained at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Monday morning while preparing to travel to the United Kingdom for a Trade Union Congress (TUC) event. He was released around midnight after being questioned for approximately 15 hours.
Ajaero revealed that although the DSS carried out the arrest, police officers were also involved in interrogating him at the DSS office. The questioning reportedly focused on allegations related to terrorism financing involving a British national, Andrew Wynne, as well as Ajaero’s role in the #EndBadGovernance protests that took place across Nigeria in August.
