The former vice-president, Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Tinubu of working to cripple political opposition and push Nigeria towards a one-party system.
Atiku’s remarks came in response to a ruling by the federal high court in Lokoja, Kogi state, which set aside its December 10, 2025, judgement that had ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party.
Isah Dashen, the presiding judge, ruled that the Peace Movement Party should have been included in the suit, since its interests were affected by the matter.
He directed a return to the status quo and ordered a fresh hearing involving all relevant parties.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Atiku said the development exposed the “true colours” of the Tinubu administration, which he accused of sabotaging democratic competition ahead of the 2027 general election.
“Nigerians are now seeing the true colours of President Tinubu, who pretends to be a democrat, but his body language and the sinister activities of his agents contradict his mouthed commitment to free and fair elections,” he said.
“Participation of citizens in a free, fair and credible poll is the soul of democracy, and any attempt to stifle such freedom of choice could be a trigger to chaos and anarchy.
“Tinubu cannot be a champion of democracy under military dictatorship and now become the worst enemy of everything that democracy stands for.
“You can’t attempt to rule the people against their will and still pretend that you’re committed to free and fair elections in 2027.”
The former vice-president said any move to restrict political competition or narrow voters’ options threatens Nigeria’s democracy.
He called on Tinubu to follow the example of former presidents Muhammadu Buhari and Goodluck Jonathan, who he said never sought to deregister opposition parties despite fierce political rivalry.
“If you’re truly popular and your policies have positively bettered the lives of the citizens, you shouldn’t be afraid of a free and fair competition,” he said.
Atiku further accused the president of turning his back on the democratic principles he once championed during the military era.
He urged the judiciary to withstand political pressure and safeguard its independence, cautioning that public trust in the institution could be damaged if judges failed to uphold the rule of law.