Former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has warned President Bola Tinubu that relying on short-term relief measures will not secure victory in the 2027 elections.
In a statement titled “Rice, Spaghetti Can’t Save You: Atiku To Tinubu,” released on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku stressed that distributing food items cannot replace public trust or determine electoral outcomes.
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“Bags of rice, spaghetti, and Indomie may offer temporary relief, but they cannot secure legitimacy at the ballot box,” Atiku said.
He expressed concern over the Tinubu administration’s consolidation of power, noting that political dominance is not equivalent to public confidence.
“At a time when over 30 state governors have been drawn into the ruling party’s orbit, Nigerians are witnessing a growing pattern of actions that suggest not strength, but fear fear of credible opposition, fear of free competition, and fear of the Nigerian voter,” he said.
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Atiku highlighted the anxiety created by government control of key institutions. “Despite this overwhelming dominance, there remains a visible anxiety about the opposition and, more importantly, about the Nigerian people,” he added.
He criticized attempts to weaken opposition parties through judicial interventions. “Court processes have, in critical moments, produced outcomes that blur legal hierarchy and create confusion rather than clarity. There is a growing resort to crass and reckless detention orders targeted at opposition figures,” he said.
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Warning against a drift toward a one-party state, Atiku said, “If the current trajectory continues, Nigeria risks sliding into a system where elections exist in name, but competition is effectively neutralised.”
He concluded by urging Nigerians to safeguard democratic choice: “Leadership must never be so secure that it avoids contest. Why is a government with such vast control still afraid of a free and fair election? Nigeria deserves an answer. And Nigerians deserve a choice.”
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