Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration and security agencies to focus their efforts on tackling violence and insecurity, rather than intimidating civil society and organized labor.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Atiku criticized the arrest of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Joe Ajaero by the Department of State Services (DSS) and the raid on the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) office in Abuja.
He described these actions as part of a growing pattern of repression under Tinubu’s administration, which he said exceeds even the most oppressive periods of military rule in Nigeria.
Atiku stated, “The escalating assault on civil society and the media by the Bola Tinubu administration is profoundly disturbing,” referring to the government’s increasing control over these sectors.
He argued that the arrest of Ajaero, who was on his way to an official event in the UK, and the raid on SERAP undermine Nigeria’s democratic values and principles of freedom and justice.
The former Vice President urged the government to redirect its focus toward addressing violence caused by terrorists and bandits, which continues to cause suffering across the country.
He emphasized that the current administration’s actions against labor unions and civil society are misdirected and a threat to democracy.
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