Former Vice President of Nigeria and Peoples Democratic Party Candidate in the 2023 presidential election Atiku Abubakar Monday, called on all opposition parties to form a coalition that will stop the All-Progress Congress from instituting a one party rule in the country.
Atiku who was speaking ahead of the October 1 Independence Day celebrations noted the country has deviated from path of unity and progress and he called on Nigerians to rescue their homeland.
“Our nation has traversed numerous tumultuous phases, yet the tenacity of patriotic citizens, bolstered by the solidarity of our international allies, has fortified our resolve as a resilient entity,” Atiku said in a statement.
“On this day, as we mark 64 years of nationhood, we take pride in the enduring establishment of democracy in Nigeria, highlighted by the longest period of democratic governance in our history.”
“While democracy has anchored our institutions in the principles of the rule of law, we have yet to achieve satisfactory progress in fostering political inclusivity and ensuring elections that are genuinely free and fair.
“Our founding fathers united under a common cause, championing our independence through peaceful, political activism. What we celebrate today is the fruition of their collective endeavors and those of subsequent generations.”
Atiku emphasized the need for opposition political parties to provide Nigerians with a credible opposition capable of steering the nation toward a promising future, even as he submitted that the current landscape reflects a troubling decline in electoral credibility, increasingly subject to the caprices of the ruling class.
“Our political milieu has become corrosive; opposition parties languish in weakness, while the ruling party appears to manipulate internal processes to render them ineffectual. Nigeria teeters on the brink of a one-party dictatorship, and it is incumbent upon all politicians and statesmen of integrity to rise and reclaim our democracy from the encroaching shadows of oppression,” Atiku declared.
