2027: APM calls for visa bans, asset freezes against officials accused of undermining democracy

By Jude Opara

The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has called on the international community to impose diplomatic sanctions, including visa restrictions and asset freezes, on Nigerian government officials it accused of undermining democracy and human rights.
The opposition party made the demand in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Abubakar Yusuf, urging international partners and democratic institutions to take what it described as decisive steps to protect Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
The APM specifically appealed to the United Nations, European Union, African Union, Commonwealth, United States, United Kingdom and France, among others, to intervene in what it described as the growing authoritarian tendencies of the President Bola Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.
The party said failure to address the situation could have serious consequences for Nigeria and the wider West African region.
Its latest position followed what the APM described as confirmation of its earlier warnings by a report on the Human Rights Foundation’s (HRF) Tyranny Tracker platform, which it said classified Nigeria as a full authoritarian state under President Tinubu.
According to the party, the report reinforces its allegation that Nigeria’s constitutional democracy and key democratic institutions are being weakened by executive overreach.
The APM alleged that security and anti-corruption agencies, as well as the courts, were being used against opposition figures and dissenting voices.
It also accused the government of suppressing freedom of expression and press freedom, claiming that journalists had been arrested or detained while covering protests or publishing critical reports.
The party further raised concerns about the conduct of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), alleging