Nigeria’s democracy gasping for air under Tinubu – Atiku
By Khubayb Adefaka
When citizens lose faith that their votes matter, democracy begins to die,” Atiku said. “This is not mere voter apathy. Democracy in Nigeria is being suffocated—slowly and dangerously.”
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed concern over what he described as a deepening crisis in Nigeria’s democratic system, citing low voter turnout in the recent Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections as evidence of growing public disillusionment.
Atiku, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, reacted to Saturday’s polls by describing the turnout figures—reportedly averaging below 20 percent, with the Abuja Municipal Area Council recording 7.8 percent—as a troubling reflection of the state of democracy under President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement issued after the elections, the former vice president argued that the low participation rate in the nation’s capital was not coincidental but symptomatic of broader systemic challenges.
According to him, the current political climate has been marked by what he termed intolerance, intimidation, and the weakening of opposition voices. He accused the Tinubu administration of narrowing the democratic space, alleging harassment of dissenters and portraying alternative political viewpoints as threats.
“When citizens lose faith that their votes matter, democracy begins to die,” Atiku said. “This is not mere voter apathy. Democracy in Nigeria is being suffocated—slowly and dangerously.”
The Waziri of Adamawa warned that sustained erosion of participatory governance could inflict long-term damage on Nigeria’s democratic institutions. He urged opposition parties to close ranks in what he described as a collective effort to safeguard the country’s democratic future.
“This is no longer about party lines; it is about preserving the Republic,” he said. “The time to stand together to rescue and rebuild Nigeria is now.”
