Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President of Nigeria, has expressed his concern about the threat to democracy in Nigeria posed by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), News About Nigeria reports.
He expressed his worry in a statement issued by his media aide, Paul Ibe.
Atiku alleged that the ruling party had turned the Nigerian judiciary into a tool for its purposes.
According to him, the courts are now making controversial declarations that favour the ruling party, even in states controlled by opposition political parties.
Atiku believes that these controversial declarations and actions threaten not just the faith in the electoral and judicial system but also the very foundations of Nigeria’s democracy.
He noted that in Plateau State’s governorship election petition, the All Progressive Congress (APC) lawmaker was heard in a viral video making a threat that the ruling party would compromise the judicial process to ensure its ultimate goal in the courts.
Atiku also expressed surprise at the situation in Lagos State, where he claims that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu holds sway with godfathers, forcing everyone, including judges, to be in his party.
He further went on to describe the crude methods that Tinubu has employed to reduce the ranks of the opposition and consolidate his hold on power.
In addition, he cited examples, such as the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) withdrawing a N135bn lawsuit against an opposition senator from Anambra State less than 24 hours after he defected to the ruling party.
“The APC has turned the once-respected Nigerian into a “cash and carry” one, where politicians who don’t participate in primaries are named as candidates while actual winners of elections are sacked for flimsy reasons,” he said.
Atiku added that the journey to rescue Nigeria’s democracy from the buccaneering power grabbers is a long one. He, therefore, called on the good people of the country to come together for a common patriotic purpose and be vigilant, as the APC plans to impose a one-party state on Nigerians.
