Former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, has raised concerns over what he describes as a disturbing trend of using federal institutions to suppress political opponents under President Bola Tinubu’s administration as reported by Daily Post on July 23, 2025.
Speaking during an interview in Kano, the elder statesman alleged that the Tinubu-led government is weaponizing state agencies to intimidate, blackmail, and harass members of the opposition. He pointed to the case of former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as a striking example of this alleged abuse of power.
“Today, Tinubu is using state institutions to crush the opposition through intimidation, blackmail, harassment, and government patronage. A clear example is Okowa, who was the PDP vice presidential candidate. He suddenly faced charges of 1.3 trillion naira from the EFCC, and after joining the APC, those charges disappeared,” Lamido said.
Lamido argued that this approach threatens the foundation of democracy, warning that selective justice and politically motivated prosecutions could lead to the collapse of public trust in Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
The former minister maintained that democracy should be built on the rule of law, fairness, and accountability, not political loyalty. He cautioned that using law enforcement agencies to silence dissenting voices and coerce defections will only deepen political instability and erode democratic norms.
Lamido also noted that such actions send the wrong signal to the international community, portraying Nigeria as a country where allegiance to the ruling party determines one’s fate with anti-graft agencies.
While reaffirming his commitment to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Lamido called on fellow political leaders and Nigerians to resist any efforts to derail the country’s democratic process through intimidation and manipulation.
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