Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has urged supporters of opposition figures to refrain from attacking former presidential candidate Peter Obi, warning that internal hostilities could derail efforts to build a credible alternative to the ruling party.
Atiku made the appeal in a post on X on Tuesday, reacting to growing verbal exchanges among supporters within the opposition space.
He said insults directed at either himself or Obi only weaken the opposition coalition and do not advance the cause of Nigerians.
“Anyone who insults Obi or Atiku does not mean well for the leaders, the Coalition ADC and for Nigeria and Nigerians,” Atiku stated.
According to him, the All Progressives Congress (APC) stands to gain the most from divisions within the opposition, as infighting distracts from the task of holding the government accountable.
“The only people who benefit from such a civil war are the APC urban bandits who want to preserve the satanic status quo,” he added.
The former vice president emphasised that unity among opposition leaders and their supporters was crucial for democratic progress and national development, especially at a time of widespread economic hardship.
His comments followed claims from some quarters that supporters aligned with Atiku had been attacking Obi online, fuelling tensions within the emerging opposition alliance.
The opposition coalition, formed under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has gathered momentum following a series of high-profile defections aimed at mounting a strong challenge to President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Obi formally joined the ADC in December 2025 after exiting the Labour Party, citing the need for a more robust opposition platform. Atiku had earlier defected to the party in November 2025, describing the move as part of a mission to “rescue Nigeria.”