A prominent civil society organization has sounded a major alarm, warning of an alleged coordinated scheme to arrest and detain key opposition leaders in Nigeria. The group claims this forms a critical part of a wider strategy to cripple opposition politics and effectively establish a one-party state.
Alleged Targets and a Covert Security Directive
In a statement released on Tuesday, December 23, in Abuja, the group, operating under the Yoruba platform "Bí a bá pa ìtàn mọ́, ìtàn á pa wa," named specific individuals marked for arrest. Its coordinator, Adekunle O. Adebayo, alleged that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, alongside former ministers Rotimi Amaechi and Nasir el-Rufai, are primary targets.
The statement further claimed that other notable figures including Isa Ali Pantami, Rauf Aregbesola, and Kashim Ibrahim Imam are also on the list. This follows what the group cited as earlier arrests and detentions of figures like Aminu Tambuwal, Abubakar Malami, and Chris Ngige.
The group asserted that these planned arrests are linked to a covert multi-agency security directive allegedly coordinated from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). It described the operation as being executed through a special task force involving anti-corruption, intelligence, and financial-crime agencies.
A "Political Project" to Neutralise Opposition
The civil society organization framed this initiative not as a genuine law enforcement effort, but as "a political project aimed not at law enforcement, but at neutralising opposition forces, particularly within emerging coalition platforms."
According to their detailed allegations, the strategy encompasses several tactics:
- Selective arrests and prolonged detentions without formal charges.
- Coercing politically exposed persons to defect to the ruling party.
- Disrupting lawful opposition meetings and gatherings.
- Engineered factionalisation within opposition parties to cause internal strife.
- Using prolonged and expensive litigation to drain opposition resources.
The group highlighted the case of Nasir el-Rufai as particularly revealing. They noted that his administration had already been under extensive investigation for over two years without any established evidence of personal wrongdoing emerging from the sustained scrutiny.
Constitutional Violations and a Call for Vigilance
The organization issued a stern warning that executing these alleged plans would result in grave violations of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). They listed specific breaches including the rights to personal liberty, freedom of association and expression, equality before the law, and judicial independence.
"The selective application of law enforcement based on political affiliation is incompatible with constitutional democracy," the statement stressed emphatically.
In conclusion, the group made a fervent call to action. It urged Nigerians, civil society, and the international community to monitor developments closely. The warning was clear: the country risks sliding towards a system where democratic institutions exist only in name, while real political power is consolidated through coercion and selective application of justice.
