Atiku slams Tinubu, Wike over blocked PDP event in Abuja

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Tinubu of undermining democratic institutions and attempting to weaken opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general election.

Atiku made the allegation on Saturday while reacting to the decision of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to deny the Peoples Democratic Party access to a public event centre in Abuja for the affirmation of its presidential candidate.

In a statement issued by the Atiku Media Office, the former vice president described the action as an abuse of power and part of a broader strategy by the Federal Government to suppress political opposition.

According to him, the incident reflects what he called a growing pattern of intolerance towards opposition parties under the Tinubu administration.

“The action of Minister Wike to deny the PDP the opportunity from holding an event in line with its constitutional right represents a blatant abuse of the party’s rights and an unacceptable infringement on the freedom of association and peaceful assembly as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended),” the statement said.

The controversy comes amid heightened political activity ahead of the 2027 elections, with opposition parties increasingly raising concerns over what they describe as attempts to restrict political space and tilt the electoral environment in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Atiku argued that public facilities should be accessible to all Nigerians regardless of political affiliation and accused the FCT Administration of acting in a partisan manner.

“Private and public facilities in the Federal Capital Territory or indeed anywhere in the country exist to serve all Nigerians irrespective of their political affiliation. The Minister’s refusal to allow a legitimate political activity to hold in such a venue is not only discriminatory but also a clear demonstration of partisan interference by the Tinubu administration.

“We have seen a pattern of political interference through public institutions aimed at weakening opposition parties under the current administration. We have also seen, by the case under reference with the PDP, ditto the ADC during its national convention held in April, that the Tinubu government is literally pushing political opposition out of space,” he said.

The former presidential candidate further alleged that there was a double standard in the application of government authority, claiming that another faction of the ADC had recently held a public event in Abuja without facing similar restrictions.

“It was under the same leadership of Wike in the FCT that a sponsored faction of the ADC had a public event a few days ago with no one threatening them.

“This sets a dangerous precedent that undermines Nigeria’s democracy, the rule of law and the integrity of our elections,” the statement added.

Atiku accused President Tinubu of using state institutions to create what he described as an uneven political playing field ahead of the next presidential election.

“This high-handed action is consistent with President Bola Tinubu’s emerging pattern of deploying state institutions and resources to frustrate political opposition and weaken the democratic process in the build-up to the 2027 presidential election.

“By weaponising the FCT administration against opposition parties, the Tinubu administration is revealing its intolerance for political pluralism and its determination to create an uneven playing field that favors only the ruling party and its cohorts,” he said.

Atiku who has repeatedly positioned himself as a defender of democratic governance, said the development was part of a wider effort to suppress dissent and undermine competitive politics.

According to the statement, Atiku believes that the administration’s actions threaten the foundations of democratic rule.

“The Tinubu government is afraid of free and fair elections and their tactics to suppress the opposition will not succeed.

“Nigerians are resolute in their demand for genuine democracy, accountability, and leadership that respects the constitution rather than subverting it.”

He further accused the President of seeking either total political dominance or the erosion of democratic norms.

“Tinubu is focused on either having his way in the 2027 election or destroying Nigeria’s democracy,” the statement asserted.

The ADC presidential candidate called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to reverse the decision and ensure equal access to facilities for all political parties.

“We call on the Minister of the FCT to immediately stop this unconstitutional action and grant all opposition parties unfettered access to public and private facilities for their legitimate political activities.

“We equally urge all democratic stakeholders, civil society organizations, and well-meaning Nigerians to rise against this creeping authoritarianism before it further erodes the foundations of our republic,” the statement said.

As of the time of filing this report, neither the Presidency nor the FCT Administration had officially responded to the allegations.

The dispute adds to growing tensions in the political landscape as parties intensify preparations for the 2027 elections, with debates over political freedoms, access to public institutions and the conduct of government officials increasingly becoming part of the national conversation.