By Ibrahim Muhammad
The Former Vice President and Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic party PDP in the 2023 general election Atiku Abubakar has warned against detaining individuals based solely on their political beliefs or affiliations.
He stated this via his official Facebook page on Monday while reacting over the recent arrest of former attorney general Abubakar Malami and former Governor of Kaduna State Nasiru El-rufai and others arrested.
He said such actions pose a serious threat to democratic principles.
The warning followed his return from Umrah (lesser Hajj) in Saudi Arabia, after which he led a delegation on a solidarity visit to former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN).
He specifically called for the release of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, alongside others described as political detainees.
He said, no individual should be held solely for holding opposing political views or belonging to a different platform from the government in power.
According to him, democracy must be anchored on tolerance, respect for differing opinions, and adherence to the rule of law, noting that suppressing dissent weakens public trust in governance.
