Ardo condemns attacks on opposition, systematic killing of dissent
By Mohd Ismail
Adamawa renowned politician, Dr. Umar Ardo has decried renewed attacks on opposition figures and the use of state apparatus of coercion to stymie dissent across the country.
In a press release he made available to this paper Friday morning, the politician who is renowned for his dogged activism towards unjust causes said such scenario has the tendency to plunge our nascent democracy into irreversible chaos and total anarchy.
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“In the past one week, Nigerians have witnessed a disturbing pattern of violence and intimidation orchestrated against opposition figures.
“Thugs were unleashed on Mallam Nasir El-Rufai in Kaduna; the convoy of former Attorney General, Abubakar Malami, was attacked in Kebbi; and elders in Katsina seeking solutions to insecurity were violently dispersed,” Ardo reiterated.
He noted that instead of addressing the new drift, the police is trying to unconscionably rope the victims as the perpetrators of the crime
“Shockingly, instead of investigating and prosecuting the perpetrators, the police have now invited El-Rufai and seven members of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) for questioning over allegations of conspiracy, incitement and public disturbance. This inversion of justice is unacceptable.
“What we see is a deliberate strategy by the APC government to unleash thuggery to suppress opposition, then use state institutions to criminalise dissent. Such tactics undermine the rule of law, breed fear and erode the foundations of democracy.
“If this dangerous path is not halted, Nigeria risks sliding into a culture where political violence replaces ideas and policies as the means of gaining power. Left unchecked, this will ultimately destroy the credibility of the 2027 general elections and plunge our country into instability.
“I thus call on the APC government and President Bola Tinubu to desist from these undemocratic practices, and for the police to return to their constitutional duty of impartiality. Democracy can only survive where opposition is respected, dissent is protected and justice is blind to partisan interests,” he said.
