The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in last year’s election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, on Monday, said Nigeria is on the brink of a one-party dictatorship.
In his message to mark Nigeria’s 64th Independence Day celebration, Atiku, a former Vice President, charged all politicians of integrity to rise up and reclaim Nigeria’s democracy from oppression.
According to him: “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.
“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.
“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”.
Atiku also lamented over the declining electoral credibility influenced by the ruling class.
