2027 Election: Atiku, PDP and CUPP Raise Alarm Over Crackdown on Dissent
As Nigeria gears up for the 2027 general election, key opposition figures and groups have voiced serious concerns about what they describe as a shrinking democratic space in the country. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) are warning that increasing repression of dissent could undermine the credibility of the upcoming polls.
In a strongly worded statement, Atiku Abubakar said Nigeria risks entering the election period under “a climate of fear and repression”. He argued that true democratic elections cannot take place if citizens and opposition voices are intimidated or silenced. His comments were made against the backdrop of the arrest of social media critic Abubakar Salim Musa, whose detention was highlighted by Amnesty International Nigeria.
Atiku accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of resorting to intimidation and arrests as tools to silence critics instead of addressing pressing national issues. He described the charges against Musa as lacking credibility and part of a broader pattern of alleged abuse of state institutions to suppress opposing views. According to Atiku, the young critic’s only “offence” was his vocal criticism of worsening security conditions in parts of the country.
He further lamented what he called a worrying trend of arrests, intimidation, and harassment of journalists, youth corps members, entertainers, students and ordinary citizens simply for expressing critical views about the government or its leaders. Atiku called for the immediate and unconditional release of Musa and others detained for exercising their constitutional rights, and urged international human rights organisations to hold the government accountable.
Echoing these concerns, the PDP accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) federal government of systematically suppressing dissent ahead of the 2027 election. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, claimed that authorities view dissent as opposition rather than constructive feedback and are allegedly using threats and intimidation to weaken opposition platforms. Ememobong also alleged that the ruling party has influenced internal crises within other opposition parties, including the Labour Party and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
Meanwhile, the CUPP described Nigeria’s democracy as being “under siege.” In a statement, the coalition’s National Secretary, High Chief Peter Ameh, said Musa’s arrest fits into a broader strategy aimed at instilling fear and disrupting organised opposition ahead of the polls. CUPP urged strategic unity among opposition forces, youth groups, and civil society to reject repression and possible electoral manipulation, insisting that the 2027 election “must be decided by the votes of Nigerians, not by fear or undemocratic schemes.”