Former Vice President and 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of sliding towards authoritarianism, following a series of recent political clashes and disruptions across northern Nigeria.

In a statement posted on his official X account on Friday, Atiku described the incidents as a “coordinated and dangerous assault on dissenting voices,” warning that Nigeria’s democracy was at risk.

“The summons of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and leaders of the ADC in Kaduna, the brazen attack on former Attorney General Abubakar Malami, and the violent disruption of the Katsina Elders Forum meeting on security reforms are not isolated incidents,” Atiku said.

“Instead, they signify a coordinated and dangerous assault on dissenting voices, civic freedoms, and the very essence of pluralistic democracy.”

Atiku stressed that dissent was a cornerstone of democracy and cautioned against what he termed the weaponisation of state institutions against political opponents.

“No government that resorts to intimidation and uses security agencies as weapons against perceived opponents can genuinely uphold democratic principles. Without a doubt, Nigeria is dangerously close to slipping into authoritarian rule if these patterns of repression continue unabated,” he warned.

He further urged Nigerians across party lines to take collective responsibility for defending democratic freedoms.

“Defending our democracy cannot be the sole responsibility of the opposition; it is a collective national duty. Power is transient, but history will harshly judge those who wield it against the people instead of in their service.”

Atiku’s remarks come amid growing unease over the role of security agencies in restricting opposition gatherings.

Earlier this week, former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, accused the police of stopping a scheduled African Democratic Congress (ADC) meeting in Kaduna, despite constitutional guarantees of freedom of association.

In Katsina, a meeting of the Katsina Elders Forum on security reforms was disrupted, while former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, was reportedly attacked by suspected political thugs.

Civil society groups and opposition leaders have increasingly voiced concern that security agencies are being deployed to stifle dissent under Tinubu’s government.

Atiku’s statement adds to mounting pressure on the administration to reassure Nigerians that political freedoms and civic rights will be protected as the country navigates economic hardship and insecurity.