Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said the simultaneous attacks on fellow presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Sokoto State, Manir Muhammad Dan'iya, are deeply troubling and unacceptable.
Galaxy TV reported that Sowore was attacked by suspected thugs in Ado-Ekiti, leaving him and members of his entourage injured.
Meanwhile, Dari'iya was attacked when his convoy travelled along the Sokoto Airport road. Both incidents happened on Friday.
In a statement, Atiku said the twin assaults expose the extent to which the ruling APC administration is prepared to oppress and intimidate opposition leaders and their supporters.
He lamented that it is particularly disturbing that while President Bola Tinubu is away on spiritual pilgrimage, political enforcers and thugs loyal to his party are unleashing terror on his political opponents at home.
"These two realities cannot coexist in a democracy.
"The continued attacks on opposition figures and the unexplained disappearance of critical social media influencers are clear red flags of a dangerous slide toward a censored state where the opposition is crushed by the brute force of the current government.
"These incidents are unbecoming of any democratic government and starkly reveal the desperation of the Tinubu administration.
"We therefore demand immediate and transparent investigations into both attacks. The Tinubu government must refrain from any attempt to muzzle the opposition and must guarantee a free, fair, and competitive contest in the forthcoming general elections.
"I have it on good authority that a local security outfit in Sokoto State has been harassing ADC supporters, manhandling citizens simply for wearing ADC merchandise.
"We shall resist every ongoing attempt to cancel political opposition in Nigeria. The ruling APC has failed in its mandate. Nigerians must be allowed to freely participate in an electoral contest that will determine the fate of this administration," Atiku said.
Discussion0