‘Nothing Must Happen to Peter Obi’ — Atiku Warns Tinubu Over Alleged Threats to Opposition Leader

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure the safety of Peter Obi, warning that any harm to the opposition figure would undermine Nigeria’s democratic values.

Atiku’s statement, released on Thursday through his spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, follows Peter Obi’s recent claim that his life was under threat. Obi had alleged during a podcast interview that he was being deliberately targeted and frustrated by the government, raising fears about his personal safety ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Reacting to the development, Atiku said protecting the lives and rights of opposition leaders is a constitutional responsibility of the Nigerian government and an important measure of the country’s democratic credibility.

“Nothing must happen to Peter Obi. An injury to one is an injury to all. When one opposition leader is intimidated, every opposition voice is diminished. When one citizen begins to fear because of his political beliefs, democracy itself becomes the casualty,” Atiku said.

The former vice president also urged the Presidency to respond to concerns raised by opposition figures with restraint and statesmanship rather than hostility. According to him, democratic governance requires engagement through facts, responsible leadership and respect for differing opinions.

“The Presidency must understand that democratic leadership demands composure, not contempt. When a citizen, particularly an opposition figure, voices concerns about the state of the nation or his personal safety, the first duty of government is to reassure through statesmanship, facts and responsible conduct—not through insults,” he stated.

Atiku argued that responding to criticism with verbal attacks weakens public confidence and creates the impression of insecurity rather than strength.

He further stressed that the opposition should not be viewed as an enemy of the state, insisting that Nigeria’s real challenges remain poverty, hunger, insecurity, corruption and kidnapping.

“The opposition is not the enemy of Nigeria. Poverty is the enemy. Hunger is the enemy. Insecurity is the enemy. Corruption is the enemy. Kidnapping is the enemy. The daily bloodletting across our communities is the enemy,” he said.

Atiku concluded that any government that spends more time confronting political opponents than addressing the country’s pressing socio-economic and security challenges risks losing sight of its core responsibility to Nigerians.