Atiku Accuses Tinubu of Using Courts to Weaken Opposition

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has insisted that he remains in the race for the 2027 presidential election, accusing President Bola Tinubu’s administration of using political pressure and court manoeuvres to weaken opposition parties.

In a statement issued in Sokoto on Friday, November 6, Atiku said the latest court ruling should not be mistaken for the will of Nigerians, insisting that voters must be allowed to decide the country’s political future.

“We are on the ballot, and the people must be allowed to decide,” he said.

Atiku accused the ruling party of deploying different tactics to undermine political competition, including pressuring opposition figures, promoting what he described as manufactured narratives and attempting to compromise the voters’ register with artificial intelligence-generated photographs, false names and fictitious identities.

He said such actions suggested an attempt to weaken the opposition and move Nigeria towards a one-party state.

The former vice president also criticised the Tinubu administration’s handling of the economy and security, citing the removal of fuel subsidy, the depreciation of the naira, rising food prices and the closure of factories and small businesses.

He further pointed to the continued activities of bandits and kidnappers, saying many Nigerians were struggling with the cost of living and the difficulty of providing for their families.

Atiku urged his supporters not to lose confidence or withdraw from the political process, describing their votes as their power to influence the country’s future.

He also dismissed suggestions that the latest court ruling or other political pressure would force him out of the contest.

“Let me be clear to every Nigerian who has stood with us: I am in this race. I am not going anywhere. We will be on the ballot,” he said.

Atiku called for a free, fair and credible election, challenging those in power to present their record to Nigerians at the polls rather than rely on what he described as efforts to restrict political competition.

He said his campaign would continue to focus on the cost of living and other issues affecting Nigerians, while urging supporters to remain calm, united and resolute.

Atiku served as Nigeria’s vice president from 1999 to 2007.