Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the attack on leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Edo State on Tuesday, including Peter Obi, John Oyegun, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, and Olumide Akpata.
Atiku described the attack as unacceptable in any democracy, noting that in recent times, reckless and inflammatory rhetoric has been witnessed from “elements” within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State.
He alleged that such rhetoric dangerously legitimises violence against political opponents, asserting that words, when weaponised, often precede actions.
“What happened in Benin did not occur in a vacuum,” Atiku said, stressing that Nigeria is entering a perilous phase in which opposition voices are not only harassed through state institutions but also physically targeted.
He stated that the APC appears to have escalated its intolerance from bureaucratic suppression to open aggression, adding that President Bola Tinubu and the nation’s security chiefs bear a constitutional responsibility to guarantee the protection of lives and property without discrimination or partisanship.
Atiku argued that the safety of opposition leaders and supporters is not a favour but a democratic obligation.
He further warned that Nigeria must not descend into a theatre where politics is settled by violence.
