Yesufu urges Atiku to restrain supporters accused of attacking Peter Obi’s backers as opposition tensions rise ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 election
Human rights activist Aisha Yesufu has urged former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to call his supporters to order over what she described as sustained social media attacks against supporters of Peter Obi, as opposition camps prepare for Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election.
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Yesufu made the appeal in a post on her verified X account on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, saying supporters linked to Atiku had repeatedly targeted Obi’s supporters online, with Yesufu saying she had also been among those targeted.
“An appeal to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to call his supporters to order. They have been on a rampage on social media attacking supporters of Mr Peter Obi. I have been one of their targets,” Yesufu wrote.
Her intervention comes as opposition figures and their supporters continue to debate possible alliances, candidates and strategies ahead of the 2027 general election.
Yesufu, who was a prominent supporter of Obi during the 2023 presidential election, said the hostility between opposition supporters was counterproductive at a time when political groups seeking to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress should be focused on the wider electoral contest.
The activist also pointed to her previous political association with Atiku, arguing that the relationship should encourage greater restraint among supporters on both sides.
The dispute reflects a broader tension within Nigeria’s opposition movement.
Atiku remains a significant figure among opposition politicians, while Obi retains a strong following among younger voters and supporters who backed his presidential bid in 2023.
Atiku contested the 2023 presidential election under the Peoples Democratic Party, while Obi ran under the Labour Party.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu won the election, with Atiku finishing second and Obi third, according to the final results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Political alignments have since shifted considerably. Atiku and other opposition figures have been involved in efforts to build a broader political platform ahead of 2027, while Obi’s supporters have continued to advocate for his political movement.
The formation and development of the African Democratic Congress as an opposition platform has added another dimension to those discussions.
However, disagreements over leadership, candidates and political strategy have continued to generate debate among opposition supporters.
Yesufu’s comments underline the increasingly personal nature of some of those disagreements, particularly on social media, where supporters of different political camps frequently challenge one another.
Her appeal is ultimately directed at reducing that hostility.
Rather than allowing online disagreements to dominate the opposition conversation, Yesufu argued that supporters should concentrate on the broader political objective of challenging the ruling party at the next election.
With the 2027 election approaching, the ability of opposition groups to manage their differences could become a crucial test of whether their various movements can translate shared dissatisfaction with the government into a coherent electoral challenge.
Also read: ADC says alliance with Accord helped defeat APC in Osun
For now, Yesufu’s message to Atiku is straightforward: political differences are expected, but she believes supporters should exercise greater restraint and avoid turning opposition politics into an increasingly bitter battle between rival camps.
