Former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has alleged that Bola Tinubu’s administration is offering N50 million to opposition leaders as a means to weaken Nigeria’s democratic process.
As it stands today, opposition parties include, Labour Party (LP), People’s Democratic Party (PDP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), among others.
Atiku made this revelation during a national conference on strengthening democracy, organized by several civic organizations in Abuja on Monday.
He further warned that Nigeria’s democracy faces the threat of collapse unless immediate and decisive measures are taken.
According to Atiku: “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.
“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. Do we really want to fight for democracy?”
Atiku lamented the erosion of democratic values, criticizing the current National Assembly as a “rubber stamp” for the government and raising doubts about the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral umpire.
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He pointed to an example from Turkey, where the electoral body upheld integrity by refusing to declare a president-elect who failed to meet the required vote threshold, suggesting this as a standard Nigeria should strive to follow.
Urging opposition parties to unite, he recounted his decades-long fight for democracy, highlighting personal sacrifices such as an assassination attempt, the confiscation of his businesses, and his time in exile.
“If we don’t unite and take action, we may end up with no democracy at all. God forbid,” Atiku said.
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