Former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has compared Nigeria’s current leadership with past administrations, accusing the present civilian leadership of being less tolerant of dissent than even military regimes.
In a video shared by SYMFONI TV, El-Rufai made the remarks while seated with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. He recalled that during the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo and Atiku, no Nigerian was ever imprisoned for holding a different political opinion. He argued that both civilian and military governments before now showed more tolerance than the current dispensation.
“When you and Obasanjo were in charge of this country, no one has been imprisoned because he has different political view. Never, not once. Even president Buhari with his military background never did that and here we are facing full fledged civilians, but they are worst than any military regime,” El-Rufai declared.
The former minister, who served under the Obasanjo-Atiku government as head of the Bureau of Public Enterprises and later as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, said he witnessed firsthand how disagreements were managed through dialogue rather than repression. He insisted that democracy should not be about silencing opposition voices but allowing them to thrive.
El-Rufai’s remarks have generated reactions, with political observers noting that his comments reflect growing concerns about shrinking civic space, arrests of critics, and the stifling of dissent in Nigeria. Some analysts interpret his statement as a veiled criticism of the current administration, warning that equating a civilian government to a repressive military regime is a strong indictment. See, More, Here>>>>
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