Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Tinubu of desperation.
Atiku made the allegation on Wednesday in a statement by his Media Adviser, Mr Paul Ibe in Abuja.
The Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development had convened a gathering of civil society organizations for a two-day national conference.
At the conference, Atiku warned that the ruling party's actions were steadily eroding the pluralism essential to a true democracy and accused APC of undermining the autonomy of the opposition.
APC had also replied the former Vice president, saying that his desperation was responsible for the crisis in the PDP.
But according to Ibe, "If there is any political figure in Nigeria who truly embodies the essence of desperation, it is none other than President Tinubu himself. Through his unchecked actions, he continues to blur the line between state power and personal ambition, magnifying his control over both the nation and its institutions.
"The fact that the APC has become a mere extension of Tinubu's will is a matter of little consequence. What truly alarms political observers -- both inside and outside the APC -- is the president's calculated and insidious strategies to systematically cripple any form of social or political opposition. These actions, which Atiku rightfully warns against, are a direct threat to the future of Nigeria's democracy."
He further said "Atiku's prophetic warnings have already begun to manifest. These warnings, though dismissed by some at the time, have proved prescient as each one materializes into a clear pattern of authoritarian behaviour by the current administration.
"Now, the opposition parties find themselves fighting for survival, infiltrated by fifth columnists who have been planted within their ranks, ensuring that no party-- whether APC or opposition -- remains capable of functioning independently of the president's whims.
"Therefore, it is with a heavy heart and a sharp admonition that we urge the ruling party to stand before the mirror and gaze upon the true face of desperation -- a face that mirrors their own actions and ambitions."
