Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the reported attack on the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, in Ekiti State and a separate incident involving supporters of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Sokoto State.
Atiku described the incidents as “deeply troubling and unacceptable” in a statement posted on his X handle on Saturday, accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of intimidating opposition figures ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The former Vice-President also called for immediate and transparent investigations into the incidents, alleging that political enforcers and thugs loyal to the ruling party were targeting opposition leaders and supporters.
“The continued attacks on opposition figures and the unexplained disappearance of critical social media influencers are clear red flags of a dangerous slide toward a censored state where the opposition is crushed by the brute force of the current government,” Atiku said.
Sowore and the Ekiti State Police Command gave conflicting accounts of an incident at a restaurant in Ado-Ekiti on Friday.
While the AAC presidential candidate alleged that he and his associates were attacked by government-sponsored thugs, the police said their operatives rescued him after an altercation with some individuals at the restaurant.
The police spokesperson, Sunday Abutu, said Sowore sustained a minor injury and was taken to the Police Hospital in Ado-Ekiti for treatment.
The state Commissioner of Police, Michael Falade, subsequently ordered an investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and identify those involved.
In Sokoto, the ADC governorship candidate, Manir Dan’iya, had condemned an alleged attack on members of the party’s women’s wing during a rally on Wednesday.
Dan’iya alleged that the procession, involving about 5,000 women and youths, was disrupted by suspected APC supporters, leaving several women injured, vehicles damaged and valuables stolen.
The Sokoto State Police Command confirmed that it received information about the confrontation and deployed officers to the scene, adding that it was investigating the incident.
However, an APC chieftain in the state, Bajare, rejected allegations that his party was responsible for the attack, while another party chieftain, Abubakar Bashar, also denied that APC members attacked ADC supporters.
Reacting to the incidents, Atiku alleged that the attacks exposed the extent to which the Tinubu administration was prepared to intimidate opposition leaders and their supporters.
He also raised concerns about what he described as the unexplained disappearance of critical social media influencers, warning of a possible slide towards a censored state.
“I have it on good authority that a local security outfit in Sokoto State has been harassing ADC supporters, manhandling citizens simply for wearing ADC merchandise,” Atiku said.
He called on the Federal Government to refrain from attempts to silence opposition voices and guarantee a free, fair and competitive electoral process in 2027.
“We shall resist every ongoing attempt to cancel political opposition in Nigeria. The ruling APC has failed in its mandate. Nigerians must be allowed to freely participate in an electoral contest that will determine the fate of this administration,” he added.
