By Beatrice Gondyi
Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has vowed that the opposition will resist every attempt to turn Nigeria into a one-party state, warning that no court manoeuvre or political intimidation can silence the people’s verdict at the ballot box.
In a strongly worded statement issued in Sokoto on Friday, November 6, 2026, Atiku directly addressed President Bola Tinubu, challenging him to face a free and fair contest at the polls rather than deploying legal and political tactics to weaken the opposition.
The statement comes on the heels of a court ruling delivered yesterday against the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which Atiku’s camp views as part of a broader pattern of judicial manoeuvres designed to eliminate credible opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“Bola cannot use the courts to escape the judgment of Nigerians at the ballot box,” Atiku declared. “No manipulation, conjecture or concoction can erase our place in this contest, silence our campaign or deny Nigerians the right to choose their future. We are on the ballot, and the people must be allowed to decide.”
The former Vice President accused the ruling party of boasting about controlling 32 governors and claiming to have “bought, pressured or coerced” leaders from other parties into its fold, yet still deploying every tactic to weaken the opposition.
He listed what he described as desperate measures: political pressure, manufactured narratives, courtroom manoeuvres, and attempts to compromise the voters’ register with “AI-generated photographs, false names and fictitious identities.”
“These are not the actions of people confident in their record. They are calculated attempts to make genuine competition impossible and push Nigeria towards a one-party state,” Atiku said.
Turning to the state of the nation, Atiku took aim at the administration’s economic record, accusing it of removing the fuel subsidy overnight without a protection plan for Nigerians, presiding over the steep decline of the naira, and allowing food prices to rise beyond the reach of ordinary families.
“Factories and small businesses have shut their doors. Our young people are leaving in search of hope, while bandits and kidnappers continue to hold communities hostage,” he said. “Look around you. Market stalls stand empty. Feeding your family has become a daily struggle. Fuel prices keep rising, and silent pain fills homes across the country.”
He urged Nigerians not to surrender their future before reaching the ballot box.
“Do not lose heart. Do not retreat. Your vote is your power, and together, we will take our country back.”
Addressing his supporters directly, Atiku insisted he remains in the race despite recent legal and political developments.
“Let me be clear to every Nigerian who has stood with us: I am in this race. I am not going anywhere. We will be on the ballot. No threat, blackmail or court manoeuvre will make me abandon you or the cause we share.”
He warned that the opposition would resist with all its strength any attempt to turn Nigeria into a one-party state, stressing that the country belongs to all its people and that democracy must remain open to more than one party and more than one voice.
“If those in power believe in their numbers and their record, let us meet at the polls in a free, fair and credible contest,” he challenged Tinubu.
Atiku maintained that his campaign’s message on the cost of living will not be silenced or derailed, calling on Nigerians to remain calm, united, and resolute.
“Together, we will fight for a Nigeria where life is affordable and every citizen’s vote counts,” he said.
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