Nigeria, April 8 -- Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised what he described as growing attempts to weaken Nigeria's democracy, warning that short-term welfare gestures will not guarantee electoral victory for the ruling government in 2027.

In a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku, who is a leading figure in the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), said distributing food items such as rice and spaghetti cannot replace public trust at the ballot box.

He argued that Nigeria is witnessing a "deliberate and systematic consolidation of power" under President Bola Tinubu, raising concerns about the health of the country's democratic system.

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