Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has warned that Nigeria is teetering on the edge of a revolution, asserting that the persistent violation of human rights is pushing citizens to a breaking point as reported by The Daily Post.
Speaking late Thursday night during a solidarity visit to the Abuja residence of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, Atiku claimed that the country’s current trajectory mirrors historical precursors to mass uprisings. He argued that the authorities are underestimating the level of public frustration, which he believes was visible during a recent confrontation between security operatives and civilians at the nation's capital airport.
The warning follows a high-tension incident on February 12, 2026, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. Security operatives, reportedly from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), attempted to arrest El-Rufai upon his return from Cairo, Egypt. Witnesses and legal counsel for the former governor reported that the attempt was thwarted not by legal intervention, but by ordinary Nigerians at the airport who physically resisted the operatives, allowing El-Rufai to leave the premises.
"I hope they will learn from what they saw at the airport because it was people on their own that resisted the arrest," Atiku stated during the visit. "What they don’t understand is that there could be a revolution in this country because people will no longer accept the violation of their human rights. What happened at the airport was absolutely uncalled for."