Tinubu acting like military dictator – Atiku reacts to Ajaero’s arrest, SERAP’s office invasion

Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s administration for allegedly prioritizing the intimidation of organized labour over addressing the country’s security challenges.

In a post on his verified Facebook page on Tuesday, Atiku expressed concern over what he described as the government’s oppressive control, stating that the current administration surpasses even the most repressive periods of military dictatorship.

This reaction follows the arrest of Joe Ajaero, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), by the Department of State Services (DSS) on Monday morning at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport while en route to the UK. Ajaero was released late Monday night after being held in custody.

Additionally, on the same day, the DSS raided the Abuja office of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).

He stated, “The escalating assault on civil society and the media by the Bola Tinubu administration is 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 Nigeria Labour Congress, en route to an official event, epitomises this regime’s relentless campaign to intimidate and subdue organised labour.”

The former Vice President added that the DSS raid on SERAP was fundamentally opposed to the principles of freedom and justice.

The post read in part, “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 SERAP, an action that stands as a grave affront to our democratic values. This siege is anathema to the principles of freedom and justice.

“Tinubu and his security apparatus must redirect their fervour and intimidation towards the true perpetrators of violence — terrorists and bandits — who are inflicting immeasurable suffering upon the Nigerian people.”