Former Vice President and opposition figure Atiku Abubakar has taken aim at President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing them of meddling in opposition party affairs rather than addressing Nigeria’s deepening economic and security crises.
His criticism was made in a statement issued by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, in response to President Tinubu’s recent remarks about the African Democratic Congress (ADC) at the 14th APC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.
The statement alleged that President Tinubu is deploying state resources and institutions to undermine opposition parties, calling it a calculated move to turn Nigeria into a one-party system.
It further claimed that Tinubu is preoccupied with plans for his 2027 re-election bid, while neglecting his presidential duties and ignoring the everyday challenges Nigerians face.
The statement read, “President Tinubu should first resolve the visible rift between himself and Vice President Kashim Shettima and fix Nigeria’s broken economy before meddling in the affairs of the ADC.
“It is baffling that the presidency is spending scarce public funds to fuel internal divisions in an attempt to weaken alternative political voices.”
It also claimed that the presidency was responsible for fueling tensions between supporters of Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi within the opposition coalition, but noted that the attempt had ultimately failed.
“We are fully aware that the supposed disagreements between supporters of Atiku and Peter Obi within the Coalition were deliberately stirred up by the presidency. Sadly for them, that divisive tactic has failed. The cracks have been mended, and the Coalition is now stronger than ever,” the statement added.
Atiku also slammed Tinubu’s administration, describing it as ineffective and disconnected from the pressing concerns of Nigerians.
He labelled the APC-led government as “rudderless, inept, and entirely out of touch with the hardships faced by ordinary citizens,” citing escalating insecurity, widespread hunger, and deepening poverty as clear indicators of its failure.
“While Nigerians face growing insecurity, hunger and poverty, Tinubu is busy playing petty politics. He has abandoned governance and is instead obsessed with his 2027 re-election ambitions, even though he has nothing to show for the 2023 mandate,” the statement said.
The former Vice President went on to accuse President Tinubu of weaponising anti-corruption agencies and other state institutions to harass and coerce opposition leaders into defecting to the APC.
“Tinubu is now using state institutions, especially anti-corruption agencies, to harass and blackmail opposition leaders into defecting to the APC. But the truth is, Tinubu fears the Coalition. He knows it is this Coalition that will remove him from office, whether it’s back to Bourdillon or Iragbiji,” the statement declared.
Atiku called on the president to end the political games and concentrate on addressing Nigeria’s urgent challenges.
The statement also reiterated the opposition coalition’s resolve to present Nigerians with a viable and credible alternative to the APC-led administration.
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