In a strongly worded statement commemorating the 32nd anniversary of the June 12, 1993 presidential election—widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest—Atiku decried what he called the “steady dismantling” of the democratic order that emerged in 1999. He said the sacrifices made by pro-democracy heroes like the late MKO Abiola, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, and Alfred Rewane are being dishonoured by the present government.
“The ruling party and its federal government now govern with the unmistakable intent to dominate, subdue, and silence,” Atiku declared.
“Opposition voices are being systematically erased… What we are witnessing is not governance, it is conquest.”
Reflecting on the events of June 12, 1993, Atiku recounted his own role in the struggle for democracy, including stepping aside from a presidential bid to support Abiola. He hailed the courage of those who gave their lives for democracy and warned that their sacrifice is being undermined by the authoritarian tendencies of today’s leadership.
