Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has addressed growing concerns over recent political realignments and defections from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), reaffirming the democratic rights of association and expression.
In a statement on Thursday, Atiku emphasized that these rights are non-negotiable pillars of democracy.
“Freedom of association and expression are not optional in a democracy; they are fundamental rights,” he said, stressing that the rule of law, credible elections, and accountability must be upheld to sustain democratic governance.
The PDP presidential candidate in the 2023 elections also responded to criticism surrounding his recent visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari in Kaduna, describing it as a legitimate political engagement.
“Buhari is not only a former leader but a significant statesman in the Nigerian political landscape,” Atiku noted.
“During the 2013 opposition merger, leaders of the time consulted widely — including visits to Obasanjo and Babangida. So why is it now sacrilegious for me and other leaders to visit Buhari?”
He decried what he described as hypocrisy in public discourse, stating, “When PDP leaders are busy sipping tea and brokering power deals with President Tinubu, it’s called strategic alliance. But the moment I greet Peter Obi, El-Rufai, or visit Buhari, it becomes a national emergency.”
Atiku redirected focus to what he termed the core national crisis — the performance of the Tinubu-led administration.
“The economy is in freefall. Inflation is choking the masses. Jobs are vanishing. Youth restiveness is surging to terrifying levels,” he said, adding that the real contest in Nigeria is no longer between political parties, but between the people and “the abysmal failure of governance.”
He urged Nigerians to unite across ethnic and regional divides to confront the nation’s pressing challenges.
“We must reject every attempt to distract us with ethnic, regional, or religious sentiments. These are tools of manipulation, designed to divide and conquer, used by those with nothing else to offer,” Atiku stated.
The former vice president concluded by calling for collective national action to rescue the country from what he described as its current economic and political decline.
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