Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has criticised alleged efforts to deregister the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), urging President Bola Tinubu to emulate the democratic conduct of former Presidents Muhammadu Buhari and Goodluck Jonathan.
In a statement issued by the Atiku Media Office in Abuja on Saturday, Atiku described the reported legal moves against the NDC as part of a broader attempt to weaken opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He said he was not surprised by the development, alleging that it reflected a wider assault on Nigeria's democratic institutions.
According to Atiku, any attempt to remove opposition parties from the political landscape could undermine public confidence in the electoral process and threaten the country's democratic system.
"Nigerians are now seeing the true colours of President Tinubu, who pretends to be a democrat, but his body language and the activities of his agents contradict his commitment to free and fair elections," he said.
The former vice president argued that democracy thrives when citizens are free to choose among competing political parties, warning that restricting such choices could have serious consequences.
"If you're truly popular and your policies have positively bettered the lives of the citizens, you shouldn't be afraid of a free and fair competition," he stated.
Atiku also urged President Tinubu to draw lessons from the administrations of Buhari and Jonathan, noting that neither leader sought to deregister opposition parties while in office.
He said Buhari, despite his military background, did not use state institutions to eliminate political opponents, while Jonathan maintained that political ambition should never come at the expense of peace or human lives.
The ADC presidential candidate further appealed to the judiciary to remain impartial and resist political interference.
He cautioned judges against allowing themselves to be used to achieve partisan objectives, stressing that the judiciary must preserve its integrity as the last hope of ordinary Nigerians.
According to Atiku, although many judges have upheld the rule of law, the actions of a few could damage the credibility of the nation's judicial system.
As of the time of filing this report, the Presidency had not issued any official response to Atiku's allegations regarding the reported move to deregister the NDC or his claims about the political climate ahead of the 2027 general elections.
