Former Vice President and prominent opposition figure, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the recent violent attack on Peter Obi, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Professor Oserheimen Osunbor, Olumide Akpata, and other Coalition ADC leaders in Benin, Edo State.
In a statement he shared on his Facebook page, Atiku described the incident as “utterly condemnable and unacceptable in any democracy,” warning that Nigeria is entering a “perilous phase” where political violence is escalating.
He linked the attack directly to what he termed “reckless and inflammatory rhetoric from elements within the ruling party in Edo State,” arguing that such language “dangerously legitimises violence against political opponents.”
He said “words, when weaponised, often precede actions,” emphasizing that the events in Benin “did not occur in a vacuum.”
The former Vice President expressed grave concern over the current political climate, stating, “Nigeria is entering a perilous phase in which opposition voices are not only harassed through state institutions but are now being physically targeted.”
He accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of having “escalated its intolerance from bureaucratic suppression to open aggression.”
In his message, Abubakar reminded President Bola Tinubu and the nation’s security chiefs of their constitutional duty to uphold law and order.
“Bola Tinubu and the nation’s security chiefs bear a constitutional responsibility to guarantee the protection of lives and property without discrimination or partisanship,” Atiku stated.
He further stressed that “the safety of opposition leaders and supporters is not a favour; it is a democratic obligation.”
Atiku Abubakar issued a stark warning against the potential erosion of democratic principles: “Nigeria must not descend into a theatre where politics is settled by violence.”
The condemnation from the ADC chieftain underscores growing anxieties within the political opposition regarding the safety and freedom of political expression in the country.
