Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Tinubu of using institutions of the state, including anti-corruption agencies, to intimidate and coerce leaders of the opposition into their fold.
News360 Info reports that Atiku made this known while reacting to the mass defection from the opposition parties to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking through his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, in an interview with Punch, Atiku acknowledged that the constitution guarantees freedom of movement and association, but stated that with the recent defections, the battle line for the 2027 election had been drawn.
Atiku also stated that the defectors do not have the interests of the masses, but are preserving and protecting their own interests.
He said, “The Constitution provides for freedom of association. As a democrat, Atiku Abubakar will not dictate to others with whom they associate. Atiku Abubakar may not know the underpinning factors behind why people are making different decisions.
“However, we know for a fact that the Tinubu-led APC has used institutions of the state, including anti-corruption agencies, to intimidate and coerce leaders of the opposition into their fold.
“What is playing out clearly is that a battle line has been drawn. It is Nigerians, long suffering, impoverished, poor citizens who can barely afford to make ends meet, feed their families, send their children to school, or access basic primary healthcare, who will ultimately determine the outcome of 2027.
“The battle line has been drawn. Nigerians are aware of what is playing out. All of these defectors do not have the people’s interest at heart. What they are doing is to preserve and protect their own interests, not those of the people. The battle line is drawn. And people may mock the ADC and say, ‘You don’t have governors, you don’t have senators.’
“What is important, the good news is that they have the people. And these are the people that the Tinubu administration and all of its tendencies seek to make life worse for by the day.
“They can hardly afford to make ends meet. We have them. We have those people. And those people are going to be the determinants. They will decide the outcome of the next election. So, like I said clearly, the battle line has been drawn between Nigeria, between good and bad.”
