By Our Reporter
Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria’s former Vice President, has condemned President Bola Tinubu’s administration for its handling of the prosecution of Omoyele Sowore, the publisher of Sahara Reporters, describing it as a case of “systematic harassment and intimidation.”
Atiku’s criticism follows the arrest of Prof. Usman Yusuf, the former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on January 28, 2025. Yusuf is accused of being involved in an alleged N4 billion fraud, among other charges.
In a post on his official X handle on January 30, 2025, Atiku called the prosecution of Sowore “baseless” and warned that the Tinubu government might soon imprison anyone who dares to criticize its leadership. He accused the administration of targeting opposition figures and critics in a broader effort to consolidate power and dismantle democratic structures.
Atiku, who was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, claimed that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was employing harassment tactics to weaken opposition parties and create a one-party system.
“When I made the clarion call that Tinubu and the APC were devoting their energies to the systematic harassment, intimidation, and dismantling of the opposition, all in service of their grand design for a one-party autocracy, I became the target of vicious attacks,” Atiku wrote.
“The arrest and baseless prosecution of @YeleSowore is the latest chapter in this unrelenting campaign. Now, they have added Professor Usman Yusuf—an outspoken critic of this administration—into their grim roster. At the pace they are going, it seems they may soon find themselves contending with the incarceration of every one of us.”
Atiku’s remarks echoed earlier accusations he made about the APC’s attempts to undermine opposition parties. In a recent national conference in Abuja, Atiku alleged that the ruling party bribed opposition leaders with N50 million to weaken their positions ahead of the 2027 elections.
The statement has drawn reactions from other opposition groups. The Labour Party and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) have challenged Atiku to provide concrete evidence for his claims.