The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration and security agencies to focus their efforts on combating those responsible for violence rather than intimidating citizens.
In a statement posted on his verified Facebook page on Tuesday, the former Vice President claimed that the oppressive control exercised by Tinubu’s administration now exceeds the harshness experienced during Nigeria’s military regimes.
This statement follows the arrest of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, by the Department of State Services (DSS) on Monday at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, as he was about to board a flight to the UK for official duties. Ajaero was detained throughout the day and was only released late Monday night
On the same day, the DSS also conducted a raid on the Abuja office of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).
In his reaction, Atiku emphasized that Ajaero’s arrest highlights the administration’s ongoing efforts to stifle organized labour.
He stated, “The escalating assault on civil society and the media by the Bola Tinubu administration is profoundly disturbing. The level of oppressive control now imposed surpasses even the harshest days of military dictatorship.
“The recent arrest of Mr. Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, en route to an official event, epitomizes this regime’s relentless campaign to intimidate and subdue organized labor.
“Just days prior, security forces detained a journalist, only to later claim it was a grievous error. What if the outcome had been fatal?
“Now, Tinubu’s regime extends its repressive grasp to encroach upon SERAP, an action that stands as a grave affront to our democratic values. This siege is anathema to the principles of freedom and justice.
“Tinubu and his security apparatus must redirect their fervor and intimidation towards the true perpetrators of violence — terrorists and bandits — who are inflicting immeasurable suffering upon the Nigerian people.”
