Atiku Warns Government Over Obi’s Safety, Demands El-Rufai’s Release

(Atiku Abubakar. Photo by Daily Post)

A former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2027 election, Atiku Abubakar, on Thursday cautioned the Federal Government against taking any action that could put opposition leaders at risk.

Atiku declared that the safety of Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Peter Obi, is a constitutional responsibility of the Nigerian state.

He also called for the immediate release of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, insisting that every Nigerian, regardless of political affiliation, is entitled to due process and equal protection under the law.

In a statement issued in Abuja by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president argued that democracy can only flourish where opposition figures are free to exercise their constitutional rights without fear or intimidation.

He maintained that the strength of any democratic system should be judged not by the powers wielded by those in government, but by the level of protection extended to those outside power. “Nothing must happen to Peter Obi.

An injury to one is an injury to all. When one opposition leader is intimidated, every opposition voice is diminished.

When one citizen begins to fear because of his political beliefs, democracy itself becomes the casualty,” the statement read in part.

Atiku expressed concern over what he described as the presidency’s response to Obi’s recent public remarks, saying government should respond to issues raised by opposition figures with restraint and facts rather than personal attacks.

According to him, political criticism should not be treated as hostility toward the state.

“The presidency must understand that democratic leadership demands composure, not contempt.

When a citizen, particularly an opposition figure, voices concerns about the state of the nation or his personal safety, the first duty of government is to reassure through statesmanship, facts and responsible conduct, not through insults.

Democracies are strengthened by reasoned engagement, not by invective.

A government that answers every criticism with abuse projects insecurity, not confidence,” Atiku said.

The former vice president further accused the government of concentrating more on political battles than on addressing the country’s pressing security and economic challenges, maintaining that the real threats confronting Nigeria remain widespread poverty, hunger, insecurity, corruption and kidn@pping.

“The opposition is not the enemy of Nigeria. Poverty is the enemy.

Hunger is the enemy. Insecurity is the enemy. Corruption is the enemy. Kidn@pping is the enemy.

The daily bloodletting across our communities is the enemy. A government that devotes more energy to attacking its critics than confronting these existential challenges has confused political survival with the purpose of governance,” he added.

He urged the Federal Government to prioritise efforts to rescue Nigerians still being held captive, noting that many families remain in agonising wait for the return of relatives abd£cted by criminal gangs.

“There are schoolchildren and teachers still waiting to be reunited with their families.

There are countless innocent Nigerians languishing in the camps of kidn@ppers.

These are the emergencies that deserve the full machinery of government not endless political sparring with opposition figures,” he stressed.

He further called on government to apply the same level of urgency it devotes to political communication toward tackling insecurity and restoring public confidence in the nation’s security architecture.

On the continued detention of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, Atiku said justice must be guided by fairness and constitutional principles rather than political considerations.

“The continued detention of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has generated widespread public concern.

Every Nigerian, irrespective of political affiliation, is entitled to due process, equal protection under the law and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty by a competent court.

Justice must never create the appearance of selective application,” he said.

The ADC presidential candidate also challenged the government to respond transparently to issues of public concern rather than engaging in what he termed needless political distractions. “Public confidence is not restored through insults or propaganda.

It is restored through openness, accountability and the courage to answer legitimate questions.

Governments earn trust by confronting controversy with facts, strengthening institutions and demonstrating that no one is above scrutiny,” he added.

Cautioning against what he described as the shrinking of Nigeria’s democratic space, Atiku said history would ultimately judge governments not by how aggressively they confronted political opponents, but by how well they protected citizens, upheld justice and defended democratic institutions. “Nothing must happen to Peter Obi.

Release Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. Bring home every abd£cted schoolchild, every teacher and every innocent Nigerian still languishing in the hands of kidn@ppers.

Stop chasing political opponents and start confronting the crises that are bleeding our nation. History will not remember how fiercely a government fought its critics.

It will remember whether it protected its citizens, upheld justice, rescued the vulnerable and preserved the democracy entrusted to its care,” the statement further read.

Atiku’s statement comes amid heightened political exchanges between the presidency and opposition figures, following recent criticisms of the Tinubu administration by Peter Obi.

It also follows ongoing debates over the treatment of opposition politicians and concerns raised by some political actors and civil society groups regarding the state of democratic freedoms, political tolerance and adherence to due process in the country.

It will be recalled that Obi, in a recent interview with a media personality, claimed that he might not be alive to contest the 2027 polls, even as he accused the Tinubu-led government of targeting his business interests.

The Federal Government has consistently maintained that its actions are guided by the rule of law and has repeatedly stated that no individual is above the law, irrespective of political affiliation.