Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of using government institutions to suppress opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Atiku made the allegation on Saturday following the reported denial of a venue in Abuja to the Peoples Democratic Party for an event aimed at affirming its presidential candidate.
In a statement issued through his media office, Atiku described the action allegedly taken by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, as an attack on democratic principles and constitutional freedoms.
“The action of Minister Wike to deny the PDP the opportunity of holding an event in line with its constitutional right represents a blatant abuse of the party’s rights and an unacceptable infringement on the freedom of association and peaceful assembly as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended),” the statement read.
The former vice president argued that both public and private facilities should be accessible to all political parties, regardless of affiliation, adding that denying opposition groups access to such venues amounts to political discrimination.
“Private and public facilities in the Federal Capital Territory or indeed anywhere in the country exist to serve all Nigerians irrespective of their political affiliation.
The Minister’s refusal to allow a legitimate political activity to hold in such a venue is not only discriminatory but also a clear demonstration of partisan interference by the Tinubu administration,” he stated.
Atiku further alleged that the development reflects a growing pattern of political interference aimed at weakening opposition parties.
“We have seen a pattern of political interference through public institutions aimed at weakening opposition parties under the current administration.
We have also seen, by the case under reference with the PDP, ditto the ADC during its national convention held in April, that the Tinubu government is literally pushing political opposition out of space,” he said.
The ADC presidential candidate also questioned what he described as the selective treatment of political groups, noting that another faction of the ADC recently held an event in Abuja without similar restrictions.
“It was under the same leadership of Wike in the FCT that a sponsored faction of the ADC had a public event a few days ago, with no one threatening them. This sets a dangerous precedent that undermines Nigeria’s democracy, the rule of law and the integrity of our elections,” he added.
According to Atiku, the alleged actions of the government suggest an attempt to create an uneven political environment in favour of the ruling party ahead of the next election cycle.
“By weaponising the FCT administration against opposition parties, the Tinubu administration is revealing its intolerance for political pluralism and its determination to create an uneven playing field that favors only the ruling party and its cohorts,” he said.
The former presidential candidate maintained that Nigerians would resist any effort to undermine democratic governance.
“The Tinubu government is afraid of free and fair elections and their tactics to suppress the opposition will not succeed. Nigerians are resolute in their demand for genuine democracy, accountability, and leadership that respects the constitution rather than subverting it,” the statement quoted him as saying.
Atiku also called on the FCT Administration to reverse the decision and ensure equal access to facilities for all political parties.
“We call on the Minister of the FCT to immediately stop this unconstitutional action and grant all opposition parties unfettered access to public and private facilities for their legitimate political activities,” he said.
He further urged civil society organisations and other democratic stakeholders to speak out against what he described as growing authoritarian tendencies.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Presidency nor the FCT Administration had issued an official response to the allegations.
The controversy comes amid increasing political activities and alignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, with debates over political freedoms and the conduct of public officials continuing to dominate national discourse.
