Atiku Abubakar, a former Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate has urged the Federal Government to immediately free Abubakar Salim Musa, commonly known as @AM_Saleeeem on X, a well-known critic of the Bola Tinubu administration.
Atiku denounced what he called a developing pattern of repression under the Tinubu administration in a message posted on his verified X profile on Monday.
The former vice president made this statement following a post on X by Amnesty International Nigeria on Sunday that revealed Musa had been arbitrarily detained on the evening of January 11, 2026.
The post read, “Abubakar Salim Musa has been remanded at Keffi Prison ahead of plans to put him through a sham trial based on bogus charges. What Salim is going through shows that: the right of young people to freedom of expression in Nigeria is increasingly threatened.
“A lot of young Nigerians have come under attacks, ranging from threats to arrests, illegal detention, and harassment, all for simply expressing their opinions online. Salim did not commit any crime and the harassment he is facing is clearly aimed at silencing him. It is perfectly within his right to criticize any government official — no matter his position or status.”
According to Atiku, Musa’s arrest is “yet another disturbing example of the Tinubu administration baring its fangs against dissent, whether expressed through public protests or online criticism.”
“Musa’s only so-called offense was his consistent and legitimate criticism of the worsening security situation in Northern Nigeria and across the country,” he said.
Atiku claimed that the government was using intimidation instead of addressing the issues brought up, pointing out that Amnesty International had described the charges against Musa “bogus” and the court proceedings “a sham trial.”
He emphasized that the situation was not an isolated one, claiming that a number of Nigerians, including journalists, entertainers, students, and National Youth Service Corps members, had been detained, assaulted, or threatened for criticizing the President or members of his family.
“This dangerous trend undermines the very foundations of democracy, which rest on the protection of fundamental human rights and freedom of expression,” Atiku said.
He added that Nigeria could not lay claim to democratic ideals “while citizens are routinely arrested, assaulted and intimidated for voicing criticism of their government.”
Atiku cautioned that repression would prevent citizens and opposition voices from operating freely as the nation approaches a pivotal general election time.
“As the nation approaches a critical general election, neither the people nor the opposition can operate effectively in an atmosphere of fear and repression,” he said.
He, therefore, urged the Tinubu administration to “immediately and unconditionally release Abubakar Salim Musa and all others detained simply for exercising their constitutional rights.”
Additionally, Atiku urged the administration to put a halt to what he called a persistent campaign of arbitrary detentions and threats against journalists and critics.
He further appealed to the international community to intervene, saying, “Countries and organizations that claim to stand for democracy and human rights must hold the Tinubu regime accountable and demand an end to these violations.”
“I encourage fellow patriots, civil society groups and Nigerians of conscience to join this demand and stand firmly against any further erosion of our freedoms,” he stated.
