BY AHMED AKANBI
Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Tinubu of interfering in the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) election, alleging it is a test run for the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued on Thursday by his Media Office, Atiku alleged that the Tinubu administration has extended its “politics of imposition” to the legal profession.
He warned that the development poses a direct threat to Nigeria’s democracy and democratic institutions.
”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,” the statement read.
Atiku alleged that the All Progressives Congress, APC-led government is weakening opposition parties by instigating internal crises and undermining democratic institutions ahead of 2027.
According to him, the controversy surrounding the NBA election reflects the administration’s determination to compromise institutions before the next general elections.
He claimed that reports of attempts to influence the NBA electoral process through the courts set a dangerous precedent capable of eroding public confidence.
The former vice president insisted that conducting the NBA election remains the exclusive responsibility of the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA), as provided in the association’s constitution.
Atiku further alleged that efforts to disqualify some aspirants from the NBA presidential race mirror a broader strategy to sideline opposition candidates through courts and electoral bodies.
He also accused government officials of deploying security agencies to arrest service providers after alleged failed attempts to postpone the election.
”It is disgraceful and a negation of democracy that despite the failed efforts to shift the polls, officials of government are now deploying security agents to frustrate the election,” he said.
The ADC presidential candidate urged those involved to allow the NBA to conduct a free, fair and credible election, and to respect the association’s right to manage its internal affairs without external interference.