Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has raised alarm over what he described as the rising wave of repression and intimidation under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In an opinion piece titled “A Nation Gripped in the Throes of Fear,” Atiku warned that the Tinubu government was fast turning Nigeria into a police state where citizens, journalists, and activists are harassed for expressing dissent. He condemned the use of the Cyberstalking Act to target critics, describing it as “a modern tool of tyranny reminiscent of colonial sedition laws,” and cautioned that “no government, no matter how powerful, is greater than the people.”
The former Vice President accused the administration of weaponizing state institutions to suppress opposition voices and of persistently disobeying court orders — a conduct he said undermines democracy and the rule of law. He lamented the growing silence of institutions meant to check executive excesses, noting that “parliament and oversight agencies now appear more eager to praise than to question power.”
Describing the 2027 general election as “a defining moment between the Tinubu hegemony and the will of the people,” Atiku urged Nigerians and civil society to resist what he called the “creeping culture of fear” and reclaim their democratic rights.
According to him, “There is a disturbing yet growing pattern by which the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu continues to muzzle free speech and, in so doing, erode the integrity of the democratic ethos that define our nation. It is a development that should trouble every Nigerian, for if this creeping culture of repression continues unchecked, it will ultimately turn the Federal Government into a bully — and make subjects of free citizens.”
Atiku decried the number of Nigerians currently facing trial or languishing in detention facilities, noting that both local and international human rights organisations have repeatedly warned about the country’s descent into dictatorship. “Under the obnoxious Cyberstalking Act, this government has metamorphosed into a leviathan — one that thrives on fear and seeks to silence the very voices that sustain democracy. This is an aberration, an affront to freedom, and it must be roundly rejected,” he said.
He likened the law to the colonial Sedition Acts, arguing that it has no place in a modern democracy. “In the 21st century, it is unthinkable that the Government of Nigeria—or any government, for that matter—should seek to control free speech, that sacred pillar of liberty and the lifeblood of democracy,” he wrote.
Atiku further stated that any law that impedes or limits the right of citizens to make critical remarks about their leaders is undemocratic and an assault on fundamental human rights. He accused the Tinubu administration of responding to citizens’ hardship-induced protests with intimidation rather than dialogue. “Rather than listen, the government has chosen the path of brute force and intimidation — treating dissent as treason and turning peaceful protesters into prisoners,” he added.
The former Vice President criticized the government’s disregard for the rule of law and persistent disobedience of court orders, saying these actions have become the defining feature of the current administration. “From journalists jailed for speaking truth to power, to citizens arrested during the #EndBadGovernance protests, Nigerians continue to suffer persecution simply for daring to think, to speak, or to protest. If truth be told, this regime may have surpassed all its predecessors in the reckless use of state power to crush public opinion,” Atiku stated.
He also cited reports from human rights groups, including Amnesty International, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), and Media Rights Agenda, all of which have expressed concern over what they describe as systematic suppression of press freedom and civil liberties. “Today, President Tinubu and his government behave as though they are sovereigns over the people. As they continue to suffocate dissent, they also attempt to subdue opposition parties and silence every voice of reason,” Atiku wrote.
According to him, key institutions that should act as checks on executive power — such as the legislature, oversight agencies, and the judiciary — have become “mere rubber stamps,” with their leaders “tripping over themselves to sing the praises of a president few dare to question.”
Concluding his piece, Atiku declared that the 2027 general election would mark a turning point in Nigeria’s democratic journey. “It will not merely be a contest between parties, but between the Tinubu hegemony and the will of the Nigerian people. And history bears eternal witness to one truth: no despot, no matter how powerful, has ever triumphed over the collective voice of a determined people,” he said.