The former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has warned President Bola Tinubu that reliance on palliative measures will not guarantee his reelection in the 2027 elections.
Atiku stated this in a statement titled “Rice, Spaghetti Can’t Save You: Atiku To Tinubu“, issued on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.
The former Vice President said the distribution of food items such as rice and spaghetti cannot replace public trust or determine electoral outcomes.
“Bags of rice, spaghetti, and Indomie may offer temporary relief, but they cannot secure legitimacy at the ballot box,” Atiku said.
Atiku stated that the Tinubu administration is consolidating power while shrinking democratic space, despite its growing political dominance.
“At a time when over 30 state governors have been drawn into the ruling party’s orbit, Nigerians are witnessing a growing pattern of actions that suggest not strength, but fear—fear of credible opposition, fear of free competition, and fear of the Nigerian voter,” he stated.
He argued that the government’s control of key state institutions has not translated into confidence but rather anxiety about opposition and the electorate.
“Despite this overwhelming dominance, there remains a visible anxiety about the opposition and, more importantly, about the Nigerian people,” Atiku said.
He also raised concerns about alleged attempts to weaken opposition parties through internal crises and judicial interventions.
Atiku also criticised what he described as the misuse of state power against opposition figures.
“Court processes have, in critical moments, produced outcomes that blur legal hierarchy and create confusion rather than clarity.
“There is a growing resort to crass and reckless detention orders targeted at opposition figures,” he said.
Warning against a drift toward a one-party state, Atiku said Nigeria risks undermining democratic principles if current trends persist.
“If the current trajectory continues, Nigeria risks sliding into a system where elections exist in name, but competition is effectively neutralised,” he said.
He maintained that leadership must be determined by the will of the people, not by the manipulation of institutions or the suppression of dissent.
The former vice president, therefore, urged Nigerians to remain vigilant ahead of the next general elections.
“Leadership must never be so secure that it avoids contest. Why is a government with such vast control still afraid of a free and fair election? Nigeria deserves an answer. And Nigerians deserve a choice,” he added
