By Obinna Uballa
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has cautioned opposition supporters against verbal attacks on former presidential candidate Peter Obi, warning that such conduct threatens opposition unity and undermines Nigeria’s broader interests.
Atiku issued the warning in a post on X on Tuesday amid rising exchanges and recriminations among supporters of key opposition figures.
“Anyone who insults Obi or Atiku does not mean well for the leaders, the Coalition ADC and for Nigeria and Nigerians,” he said.
He warned that internal squabbles only strengthen the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which he described as the sole beneficiary of divisions within the opposition.
“The only people who benefit from this kind of civil war are the APC urban bandits who want to sustain the satanic status quo,” Atiku stated.
The former vice president stressed that unity and cooperation among opposition leaders and supporters were essential to challenging the current administration and advancing democratic progress.
Atiku’s remarks followed accusations from some quarters that his supporters had been unfairly targeting Obi, a development critics say risks deepening cracks within the fragile opposition alliance.
The opposition coalition, operating under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) banner, has gained momentum in recent months following a wave of high-profile defections aimed at mounting a credible challenge to President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Obi officially joined the ADC in December 2025 after leaving the Labour Party, citing the need for a stronger opposition platform to confront Nigeria’s worsening economic hardship and governance challenges. Atiku had defected to the party a month earlier, describing the move as part of a broader effort to “rescue Nigeria.”
