Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has alleged that the Tinubu administration is paying opposition leaders N50 million each to weaken democracy. He warns of dire consequences if urgent action isn’t taken.
Former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has made a startling revelation, accusing President Bola Tinubu’s administration of allegedly paying N50 million to opposition leaders to undermine Nigeria’s democracy.
Speaking during a national conference on strengthening democracy organized by civic organizations in Abuja on Monday, Atiku expressed grave concerns about the state of democracy in Nigeria. He alleged that the government’s financial inducement to opposition parties is a calculated attempt to weaken democratic principles.
“I want to say it here publicly. I met with a political party leadership in the present opposition, and they told me flatly that this government gives them N50 million each,” Atiku revealed. “If we are not careful, we are talking to some of you here, but you are recipients of the N50 million from the APC government. Do we really want to fight for democracy?”
Atiku warned that Nigeria’s democracy is at risk of collapse if such practices continue unchecked. He criticized the current National Assembly, describing it as a “rubber stamp” institution, and questioned the credibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Drawing a comparison with Turkey, Atiku highlighted a case where the Turkish electoral body upheld democratic integrity by refusing to declare a president-elect who failed to meet the vote threshold. He emphasized the need for Nigeria to adopt similar standards.
The former Vice President also called on opposition parties to unite in defense of democratic values. Reflecting on his decades-long struggle for democracy, Atiku recounted personal sacrifices, including an assassination attempt, the seizure of his businesses, and exile.
“If we don’t unite and take action, we may end up with no democracy at all. God forbid,” he warned.
Atiku’s revelation has sparked discussions on the state of opposition politics in Nigeria and the integrity of the country’s democratic process under the current administration.