A public affairs analyst and activist, Adekunle Adebayo, has raised concerns over what he described as an alleged plot to arrest and intimidate prominent opposition figures in Nigeria, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Adebayo warned that the alleged plan is part of a broader strategy aimed at weakening opposition politics and entrenching a de facto one party system in the country.
He alleged that Atiku Abubakar, Rotimi Amaechi, and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el Rufai have been marked for arrest. According to him, other notable political figures, including Isa Ali Pantami, Rauf Aregbesola, Kashim Ibrahim Imam, and others, are also being targeted.
Adebayo further claimed that the alleged move follows earlier arrests and detentions involving former governors of Sokoto and Anambra states, Aminu Tambuwal and Chris Ngige, as well as former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.
He cautioned that if such arrests are carried out, they would constitute serious violations of the 1999 Constitution as amended, citing potential breaches of personal liberty, freedom of association and expression, equality before the law, and the independence of the judiciary.
“Selective application of law enforcement based on political affiliation is incompatible with constitutional democracy,” Adebayo stated.
He called on Nigerians, civil society organisations, and the international community to closely monitor developments, warning that the country risks drifting into a system where democratic institutions exist only in form, while political power is consolidated through coercion and selective justice.
