Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President, has condemned the President Bola Tinubu administration’s methodical silencing of the opposition.
The former Vice President stated that the recent arrest and “baseless prosecution” of Omoyele Sowore and Usman Yusuf is the latest example of opposition figures being harassed.
In a post on his X Twitter, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2023 presidential candidate stated that the recent detention and “baseless prosecution” of Omoyele Sowore and Usman Yusuf is the latest example of opposition figure persecution.
“When I stated unequivocally that Tinubu and the APC were devoting their resources to the systematic harassment, intimidation, and annihilation of the opposition, all in service of their big goal for a one-party autocracy, I came under severe attack.
“The arrest and unjust prosecution of @YeleSowore is the latest chapter in this ongoing campaign.” Now they’ve decided to include Professor Usman Yusuf, an ardent critic of this regime, on their gloomy roster. At their current rate of progress, it appears that they will soon have to deal with the incarceration of all of us.”
On Monday, January 27, 2025, Sowore, the convener of the #Revolutionnow movement, was questioned at the Force Criminal Investigation Department upon police invitation.
He was then given administrative bail, but he refused to accept the bail restrictions and remained in detention. Police then charged him with 16 counts of cybercrime.
On Thursday, the court granted Sowore ₦10 million bail with one surety.
Professor Usman Yusuf, a critic of the Tinubu administration and former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), was detained on Wednesday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on charges of fraud.
He was scheduled to be arraigned on Friday, but the date was changed to Monday to enable the charges to be amended, according to EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale.
Defence counsel Isah Dokto Haruna, representing O.I. Habeeb, SAN, applied for bail; however, it was denied due to the defendant’s deferred arraignment.
Justice Nwecheonwu adjourned the matter till February 3, 2025, for arraignment and ruled that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the Commission.
