By Muhammad Mamman
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has strongly criticised the police summons issued to former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, and several leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing it as part of an alarming trend of political intimidation under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The Kaduna State Police Command had invited El-Rufai and seven ADC officials for questioning over allegations of criminal conspiracy, incitement of public disorder, mischief, and causing grievous harm.
In a letter dated 4 September 2025 and signed by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Uzainu Abdullahi, the ADC state chairman was instructed to present the accused at the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on 8 September.
Those named in the summons include Bashir Sa’idu, Jafaru Sani, Ubaidullah Mohammed (popularly known as “30”), Nasiru Maikano, Aminu Abita, and Ahmed Rufa’i Hussaini (alias “Mikiya”).
Reacting via his social media platforms, Atiku warned that the development in Kaduna, alongside recent incidents in Katsina and other states, signalled a disturbing drift towards authoritarianism.
“The summons of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and ADC leaders in Kaduna, the brazen attack on former Attorney General Abubakar Malami, and the violent disruption of the Katsina Elders Forum meeting on security reforms are not isolated incidents,” he said. “They represent a coordinated and dangerous assault on dissenting voices, civic freedoms, and the very fabric of our pluralistic democracy.”
Atiku cautioned that weaponising security agencies against political opponents undermines the nation’s democratic foundations. He stressed that if unchecked, such practices could push Nigeria towards authoritarian rule.
He further urged Nigerians across party lines to unite in defence of democracy, insisting that the protection of civic freedoms should not be left to opposition figures alone.
“Power is fleeting,” Atiku declared. “But history will not be kind to those who use it against the people rather than in their service. Nigeria belongs to all of us—not to the ruling party or to any individual.”
