Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticized the federal government for the recent arrest of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Joe Ajaero by the Department of State Services (DSS) and the takeover of the Abuja office of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).
In a statement released on Tuesday, September 10, Atiku, the 2023 presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), expressed deep concern over what he described as a growing wave of oppressive actions by the current administration.
He warned that “the level of oppressive control now imposed surpasses even the harshest days of military dictatorship,” pointing to these events as alarming indications of a government clamping down on civil society.
Atiku also urged President Bola Tinubu to redirect the nation’s security apparatus towards addressing the pressing issues of terrorism and banditry, rather than targeting labor leaders and civil rights organizations.
It read “The escalating assault on civil society and the media by the Bola Tinubu administration are profoundly disturbing. The level of oppressive control now imposed surpasses even the harshest days of military dictatorship.
“The recent arrest of Mr. Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, en route to an official event, epitomizes this regime’s relentless campaign to intimidate and subdue organized labour.
“Just days prior, security forces detained a journalist, only to later claim it was a grievous error. What if the outcome had been fatal? Now, Tinubu’s regime extends its repressive grasp to encroach upon @SERAPNigeria, an action that stands as a grave affront to our democratic values. This siege is anathema to the principles of freedom and justice.
“It is imperative that Tinubu and his security apparatus redirect their fervour and intimidation towards the actual perpetrators of violence — terrorists and bandits — who are inflicting immeasurable suffering upon the Nigerian people. -AA”
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