Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the political crisis in Osun and Lagos, berating President Bola Tinubu’s APC government “as a power-drunk regime intent on setting the country on fire.”

In a statement on Tuesday, Mr Abubakar cited the bloody tussle between the ruling party and Peoples Democratic Party in Osun on Monday.

“These are dangerous times,” stated Mr Abubakar. “The APC has abandoned any pretence of democratic legitimacy, resorting instead to brute force in its bid to cling to power — even as the people have overwhelmingly rejected it.”

He added, “President Bola A. Tinubu, @officialABAT, and his dwindling band of enablers must cease their reckless acts of political sabotage — not just in Osun or Lagos, but across Nigeria.

“The people demand governance, not chaos. Nigerians will not sit idly while their democracy is hijacked by a power-drunk regime intent on setting the country on fire.

According to Mr Abubakar, APC orchestrated a full-scale assault on the democratic process, attempting to hijack the local government elections through brute force.

“Nigerians bore witness to a chilling display of lawlessness yesterday, as the Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress exposed the depths of its desperation to retain power at all costs — through sheer political brigandage and the subversion of democracy,” the former vice-president alleged.

He praised the “brave citizens of Osun for standing up to the tyranny that sought to break them.”

“We demand that security agencies deployed for Saturday’s elections uphold their constitutional duty with professionalism, refusing to be used as enforcers of APC’s criminal agenda. The world is watching,” said the politician.

On Monday, violence erupted in Osun as PDP and APC engaged in a violent clash that killed six persons.