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Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of attempting to undermine Nigeria’s democratic system through what he described as an attempt to use the courts to cancel the registration of the Nigerian Democratic Congress.
In a statement released on Saturday by his media office in Abuja and shared on
The statement dated June 27 2026 warned that restrictions on political parties or restrictions on voter choice could weaken democratic governance and push the country towards a one-party system.
According to the former vice president, recent political developments strengthen concerns about the government’s commitment to democratic values and electoral competition.
He said: “Nigerians are now seeing the true colors of President Tinubu, who pretends to be a democrat, but his body language and the nefarious activities of his agents are at odds with his commitment to free and fair elections.”
Atiku stressed that democracy can only flourish if citizens are allowed to make their choices freely at the ballot box, and warned that any attempt to obstruct the process could undermine the stability of the country.
He stated: “Citizen participation in free, fair and credible elections is the soul of democracy, and any attempt to curb freedom of choice can be a trigger for chaos and anarchy.”
The former deputy president urged President Tinubu to follow the example of former Presidents Muhammadu Buhari and Goodluck Jonathan, stating that despite intense political rivalry during their administrations, neither attempted to eliminate opposition parties through deregistration.
He argued that any government that is truly confident in its performance should welcome electoral competition, not fear it.
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According to Atiku: “If you are truly popular and your policies have a positive impact on people’s lives, you have nothing to fear from free and fair competition.”
He also accused the President of deviating from the democratic principles he had espoused during the era of military rule.
In his words: “Tinubu could not be a champion of democracy under military dictatorship and is now the worst enemy of everything democracy stands for.”
He further added: “You cannot try to rule the people against their will and still pretend that you are committed to free and fair elections in 2027.”
Turning to the justice sector, Atiku called on judges to remain neutral and reject any political influence that could erode public confidence in the justice system.
He said: “Governments will come and go. Therefore, the judiciary must maintain its integrity as the last hope of society.”
While acknowledging the integrity of many judicial officers, he warned that the actions of a few could damage the reputation of the entire institution.
He added: “There are many great judges in Nigeria, but the unbridled excesses of some judges who allow themselves to become judicial swords in the hands of politicians can damage the image of the wider judiciary.”
