FORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai have raised alarm over what they described as a growing threat to Nigeria’s democracy.
Speaking at a national conference on strengthening democracy in Abuja on Monday, January 27, the leaders warned that if urgent action was not taken, the country could lose its hard-fought democracy.
Abubakar highlighted the erosion of democratic values, arguing that Nigeria was at a crossroads.
He criticised the growing influence of the judiciary in determining electoral outcomes, arguing that the courts, not the people, decided candidates and winners.
“We really are at a crossroads in this democratic experiment. We either decide we want to be democratic or we decide to abandon it,” he said.
Abubakar also expressed frustration with the National Assembly, calling for legislative reforms to empower political parties and ensure the people determine who governs them.
He further accused the Federal Government of undermining opposition parties through financial inducements, adding that some political party leaders were given N50 million each.
“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.
“Where do we go from here? This means that 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? If we don’t, we all go back to our homes. But if we do, I have been in this struggle for over 30 years, an attempt was made on my life, and I escaped. I went into exile, but I never gave up. My businesses were taken over, and I am still surviving. So, you need to make up your mind. I am not doing it for myself. For me, I have lived my life. I am doing it because of you,” the former PDP presidential candidate said.
On his part, El-Rufai said he shared similar concerns with Atiku, describing the current situation in the country as a “national emergency.”
He warned that the opposition risks extinction unless it unites.
“The way and manner opposition political parties are being targeted for destruction and the style and quality of governance in this country today is a national emergency. It should concern everyone. And I think this is a problem for all of us to think about and play a role in changing it because, as His Excellency (Abubakar) said, we stand the risk of losing democracy itself,” he said.
El-Rufai cited alarming voter apathy, referencing a poll that indicated 75 per cent of registered voters do not intend to participate in the 2027 elections.
He called on opposition parties to form a united platform to challenge the ruling party and save the nation’s democracy.
“We know what it is, and we don’t want a military rule, but we also don’t want civilians behaving like the military in their ‘babarriga‘ and suits. So, this is a national emergency,” he warned.
The former Kaduna state governor further claimed that there was a deliberate effort to destroy parties like the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP).
He urged opposition leaders to prioritise internal democracy and adopt stricter standards for party delegates and candidates.
“The problems are still there. However, I no longer believe that my party believes in confronting those problems. So, the distance between me and APC is widening, but I remain where I am because these problems remain the living problems of Nigerians and they have to be addressed. The only way to address them is through the instrumentality of the political parties,” he added.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M