‘I Don’t Have A Gun’, Tinubu Rejects Claims of Killing Opposition in Nigeria

President Bola Tinubu has denied accusations that his government is deliberately weakening opposition parties or forcing politicians to defect to the ruling party.

He spoke during an interfaith Iftar meeting with senators at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The President addressed growing concerns that the ruling All Progressives Congress is expanding through pressure and intimidation of opposition figures.

Responding directly to the allegations, Tinubu said critics were free to speak but insisted that he had not used state power against any political group.

“Critics must talk. When they accused me of killing the opposition, but I didn’t have a gun. I could have given myself a licence when I have the authority,” he said.

His comments come amid a wave of defections by lawmakers and prominent politicians from opposition parties into the APC. These movements have sparked debate across the country, with many accusing the ruling party of creating an uneven political environment.

Tinubu dismissed those claims and maintained that the defectors acted of their own free will.

He argued that internal crises within opposition parties were responsible for the situation, not intimidation from the presidency.

“But I can’t blame anybody for jumping out of a sinking ship if they did,” he added.

The President also linked Nigeria’s political tension to broader national challenges, especially insecurity.

He referenced the ongoing problems of terrorism and banditry, describing them as pressures that affect both governance and national stability.

“What we have faced in the challenging period of this country, the terrorism and banditry, is causing us havoc,” Tinubu stated.

Tinubu used the occasion to call for cooperation among political leaders, regardless of party affiliation.

He said Nigeria’s democracy was designed to encourage unity and collective responsibility rather than political warfare.

“And we should pull together, unite in a way that our forefathers contemplated to bring about a constitutional democracy and pull us together. They didn’t say we should fight. It’s a good thing that we are working in harmony,” he said.

However, the President urged lawmakers to focus on national development and security instead of partisan conflict.

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