Former Vice President and 2023 PDP Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, Criticizes President Tinubu’s Administration for Violating Press Freedom
In a strongly-worded statement released via the X platform, Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), accused President Bola Tinubu’s government of failing to uphold press freedom and disregarding public opinion.
Atiku highlighted a recent incident involving journalist Precious Eze, who was mysteriously taken from his home in Lagos by security operatives, emphasizing the disconnect between Tinubu’s promises and the actions of state agencies.
The former Vice President emphasized the importance of respecting freedom of speech and allowing journalists to carry out their duties without fear of harassment from security forces.
Atiku wrote, “Only yesterday, this administration assured that it will always uphold press freedom and respect public opinions. But those words are hollow and do not match with the actions of state agencies.
“Just last week, Precious Eze was abducted by security agents in his Gbagada home in Lagos. There was no word to explain his whereabouts and why he was being detained until Nigerians started to raise an alert about the plight of Precious.
“Notwithstanding what the young man may have done, the agencies of the state must let his family, friends, and indeed Nigerians know about his whereabouts.
“This aligns with the spirit of democracy, freedom of speech and respect for journalists to do their jobs of holding government to account without jackboot intimidation. -AA”
