Alhaji Atiku Abubakar,
a former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has alleged the President Bola Tinubu’s government of financial inducement of opposition party leaders to bring about disarray and weaken the opposition as the country inches towards the 2027 general elections.
Atiku made the allegation during the just past weekend while participating in a national conference on strengthening democracy in Nigeria, organized by the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD), the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA), and the National Peace Committee (NPC).
The PDP stalwart claimed that leaders of some opposition parties informed him that they were being offered N50 million each by the current government.
According to him “I want to say it here publicly. I met with a political party leadership in the present opposition, and they told me flatly that this government gives them N50 million each,” Atiku revealed.
Atiku explained that such actions are harmful to the country’s democratic progress. “Where do we go from here? This means that if we are not careful, we are talking to some of you here, but you are recipients of the N50 million from the APC government,” he said.
He decried the negative impact of such influences on our democracy, urging political leaders to remain steadfast in the fight for democratic ideals. He reflected on his personal sacrifices over three decades of political engagement, including attempts on his life, exile, and the seizure of his businesses.
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“I am not doing it for myself. For me, I have lived my life. I am doing it because of you,” Atiku stated, urging the opposition to unite in defense of democracy.
Responding to concerns about the “win-at-all-costs” mentality among ruling parties, Atiku emphasized the need for opposition parties to learn from history and strategize effectively. “The current system has been bastardized. As El-Rufai said, there is a need for the entire opposition political parties to think of a way out of the situation. Otherwise, we may end up with no democracy at all. God forbid,” he said.
Atiku also criticized the judiciary’s growing role in determining election winners, stating, “It is the court that now decides candidates or winners, not the people.”
Atiku stressed the importance of sustainable party funding as a cornerstone for strengthening democracy. “This is crucial to strengthening political parties,” Atiku said and called for the structural reforms in Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
