Atiku Warns Opposition Supporters Against Insults, Says Internal Divisions Strengthen APC
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has cautioned supporters of opposition leaders against exchanging insults, warning that such attacks only serve to strengthen the ruling All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 general election.
In a post on the social media platform X on Monday, Atiku stated that anyone who insults Peter Obi, the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, or himself does not have the interests of the opposition coalition, individual parties, or Nigerians at heart.
The former vice-president described disunity among supporters of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a “civil war” that only benefits the APC, which he characterised as “urban bandits” intent on preserving what he called the “satanic status quo”.
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Atiku’s remarks came in response to a post by X user Novie Everest, who had accused supporters of the former vice-president of insulting Obi while expecting Atiku himself to be shielded from criticism.
“Atiku’s people want to insult Peter Obi without Atiku getting the heat back. Maybe they feel Atiku deserves respect and Peter Obi does not,” the social media user wrote.
Responding directly to the comment, Atiku appealed for unity among opposition supporters and emphasised the need for collective action against the ruling party.
“Dear Everest, anyone who insults Obi or Atiku does not mean well for the leaders, the coalition ADC and for Nigeria and Nigerians. The only people who benefit from such a civil war are the APC urban bandits who want to maintain the satanic status quo. We are better together,” Abubakar wrote.
Atiku Abubakar, a former vice-president under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo between 1999 and 2007, has been a prominent figure in Nigerian opposition politics for nearly two decades. He contested the presidency on multiple occasions, most recently in 2023 as the candidate of the PDP, finishing second behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC.
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Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra State and vice-presidential candidate in 2019, emerged as a formidable political force in the 2023 presidential election as the candidate of the Labour Party. His candidacy energised a significant portion of Nigeria’s youth demographic and middle-class voters, particularly in urban centres across the country.
Both Atiku and Obi are now members of the ADC, an opposition coalition established to challenge President Tinubu and the APC in the 2027 general election. The coalition brings together various opposition parties and figures in a bid to present a unified front against the ruling party, which has held power at the federal level since 2015.