In a scathing critique, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu of prioritizing a targeted crackdown on opposition voices over a genuine fight against corruption. Atiku’s allegations suggest that Tinubu’s administration is more focused on silencing critics and consolidating power than on addressing the country’s endemic corruption problems. This disturbing trend, if true, would undermine the very foundations of Nigeria’s democracy and raise serious questions about Tinubu’s commitment to transparency and accountability.

Former Vice President and Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has criticized the detention of Professor Usman Yusuf, a well-known social critic.

Atiku tweeted on his X account that the Tinubu administration was allegedly using state machinery to silence critics and suppress opposition instead of genuinely fighting corruption.

Two days ago, the nation was jolted by the arrest of Professor Usman Yusuf, a fierce and unyielding social critic.

Though the charges against him have been festering since the previous administration, it is impossible to ignore the strong likelihood that his detention is…

— Atiku Abubakar (@atiku) January 31, 2025

He questioned the timing of Yusuf’s arrest, given that the charges against him originated from the previous administration. Atiku also criticized the administration’s hypocrisy in sheltering individuals under investigation while exploiting state institutions to stifle dissent.

According to Atiku Abubakar;

Two days ago, the nation was jolted by the arrest of Professor Usman Yusuf, a fierce and unyielding social critic. Though the charges against him have been festering since the previous administration, it is impossible to ignore the strong likelihood that his detention is politically motivated. The Tinubu government, despite being riddled with individuals who themselves are embroiled in scandals and investigations by both local and international authorities, continues to use the very machinery of the state to silence its critics. It weaponizes these pending investigations to suppress all opposition. It is absurd that while the administration shelters those under investigation, it continues to exploit state institutions to stifle dissent, all under the false pretence of combating corruption. Even to the most inattentive, it has become glaringly clear that Tinubu is not waging a war on corruption — he is waging a war on the opposition, manipulating the system for his own political advantage.