‘Use your PVC, not violence,’ Atiku condemns assault on Tinubu campaigner in Warri
By Ishaya Ibrahim
Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the assault on a Tinubu campaigner in Delta State, urging Nigerians to reject bad governance with their votes, not violence.
Atiku’s statement noted that Mr. Tempo Mudi, reported to be a Protocol Officer to the Delta State Governor, was allegedly attacked by youths while campaigning for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Conference Centre in Effurun, Warri.
In a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described the incident as “unfortunate, unacceptable and incompatible with the democratic values Nigerians have struggled to build.”
“No matter how unpopular a political opinion may be, no Nigerian deserves to be assaulted for expressing it. Democracy thrives on persuasion, debate and the freedom to hold divergent views — not intimidation, violence or mob action,” Atiku said.
The former Vice President acknowledged the anger among Nigerians, especially youths, over hardship, inflation, unemployment and what he called the failures of the Tinubu administration.
“President Tinubu’s record has already rendered its own verdict. Nigerians know that this administration has been an abysmal failure. Its record of economic mismanagement, deepening poverty, rising insecurity and broken promises speaks louder than any campaign speech,” he stated.
However, Atiku warned that public anger must not translate to violence.
“But no matter how justified the public anger may be, violence is not, and can never be, the route to national redemption. We must not become what we seek to replace,” he said.
“Our greatest weapon against bad governance is not our fists but our votes. Those who have inflicted untold hardship on Nigerians should be rejected through the ballot box, not through physical confrontation. The Permanent Voter Card remains the most powerful instrument for democratic change.”
Atiku urged youths in Delta and across Nigeria to remain peaceful and focused on rescuing the country through constitutional means.
“The Nigeria we seek to build is one where ideas compete freely, citizens are safe to express their opinions, and governments are changed by ballots — not by brutality. Let us channel our collective anger into peaceful democratic action and ensure that those who have failed the nation are held accountable at the polls,” he added.
