Tinubu using NBA poll as rehearsal for 2027 rigging, Atiku alleges

Former Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu of using the ongoing controversy surrounding the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) presidential election as a "rehearsal" for rigging the 2027 general elections. Abubakar alleges that the Federal Government is already employing tactics intended to undermine opposition parties.

“

This desperation shows how the Tinubu-led APC government plans to use government agencies to rig the 2027 general elections.

In a statement released in Abuja, Abubakar's Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, stated that the dispute over the NBA poll is not solely about the leadership of the lawyers' association. Instead, he argued, it reveals the Tinubu administration's broader political strategy and approach to elections leading up to 2027. Abubakar expressed concern that President Tinubu has brought "state-sponsored toxic politics of coronation" to the NBA election.

“

We are concerned that President Bola Tinubu has brought his state-sponsored toxic politics of coronation to bear on the election of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

Abubakar further claimed that the administration is weakening opposition parties by fueling internal crises, undermining democratic institutions, and paving the way for electoral manipulation. He pointed to media reports suggesting government officials and their agents are using the courts to pressure legal professionals into supporting a preferred candidate in the NBA election. "This, to say the least, is a dangerous precedent that is capable of widening our fault lines," the former Vice President warned.

“

There have been media reports of how this government and its agents have resorted to the use of the courts to railroad members of the Bar into settling for its preferred candidate.

He stressed that the NBA should be allowed to manage its own affairs, with the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) responsible for conducting the election according to the NBA Constitution. Abubakar asserted that by attempting to install its preferred candidate and disqualify others, the Tinubu presidency is following a playbook to disqualify opposition candidates in the next general elections through the courts and electoral bodies. He urged government officials to permit a free and democratic election for a smooth leadership transition within the NBA.

“

This, to say the least, is a dangerous precedent that is capable of widening our fault lines.