The Traffic

Tinubu’s Crackdown: Atiku Warns—'We May All End Up in Jail

By Achimi Muktar

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has sounded the alarm over what he calls the growing intolerance of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, warning that opposition figures and critics risk being thrown in jail under the guise of law enforcement.

In a scathing statement posted on his X handle, Atiku pointed to the recent arrests of vocal government critics, including Omoyele Sowore and Usman Yusuf, calling it a calculated attempt to silence dissent.

Atiku accused Tinubu’s government of selectively using state institutions to attack opposition voices while protecting its own corrupt officials.

“The Tinubu government is filled with individuals embroiled in scandals, yet it continues to weaponize state power against critics,” he said.

The 2023 PDP presidential candidate expressed concern that his own pending corruption allegations—long-standing from previous administrations—could be revived as a political tool to intimidate and detain him.

“It is impossible to ignore the strong likelihood that these detentions are politically motivated. Tinubu is not waging a war on corruption—he is waging a war on the opposition,” he declared.

Atiku criticized the government’s double standards, alleging that while corrupt officials within the administration are shielded, critics are being targeted under false pretenses of fighting corruption.

The former VP pointed to a pattern of arrests and intimidation, warning that Tinubu’s political crackdown is escalating.

🔴 Omoyele Sowore – Arrested for his unfiltered criticism of the government.

🔴 Usman Yusuf – A fierce social critic recently detained.

🔴 More Opposition Figures – Atiku fears others could be next, including himself.

“At the pace they are going, it seems they may soon find themselves contending with the incarceration of every one of us,” he warned.

Atiku further accused Tinubu of infiltrating opposition parties with loyalists to destabilize and weaken them ahead of the 2027 general election.

According to him, the APC-led government is deliberately crippling the opposition by:

✅ Planting “fifth columnists” within PDP and other parties to sabotage internal structures.

✅ Stacking the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with loyalists to rig future elections.

✅ Weakening the judiciary to ensure no legal challenge stands against the administration.

“The opposition is now fighting for survival,” he lamented. “No party—APC or otherwise—can function independently of Tinubu’s control.”

Political analysts and activists have warned that Tinubu’s intolerance for dissent could erode public trust and threaten democracy.

With the 2027 elections still years away, many now wonder: Will Tinubu tighten his grip further, or will the opposition find a way to fight back?