Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has called on the Federal Government to guarantee the safety of opposition figure Peter Obi and release former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai.

Atiku warned against what he described as the intimidation of political opponents in the country.

In a statement issued on Thursday by his media aide, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the safety of opposition leaders was a constitutional responsibility of the government, insisting that no harm must come to Obi.

"Nothing must happen to Peter Obi. An injury to one is an injury to all. When one opposition leader is intimidated, every opposition voice is diminished," he said.

The former vice president also criticised the Presidency's response to Obi's recent comments on national issues, saying democratic governments should respond to criticism with restraint, facts and statesmanship rather than personal attacks.

According to him, democracy is strengthened through reasoned engagement and respect for dissenting voices, not by attempts to silence critics.

He argued that insecurity, poverty, hunger, corruption and kidnapping, not opposition politicians, should constitute the government's primary focus.

Atiku further renewed his call for the release of El-Rufai, saying the continued detention of the former governor had raised public concern.

He maintained that every Nigerian, irrespective of political affiliation, is entitled to due process, equal protection under the law and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty by a competent court.

The ADC presidential candidate urged the Federal Government to devote greater attention to rescuing kidnapped Nigerians and tackling the country's security challenges rather than engaging in political battles with opposition figures.

He warned that history would judge any administration by its commitment to justice, protection of citizens and preservation of democratic values, not by how aggressively it confronted its critics.