Atiku

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has urged President Bola Tinubu to stop attributing Nigeria’s current challenges to previous administrations. He said Nigerians now expect practical solutions after more than 3 years of the Tinubu administration.

Atiku made the remarks in a statement issued on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu. The former vice-president, who is also the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, criticised Tinubu’s recent comments that prosperity is approaching and that the quality of life is improving across the country.

According to Atiku, those claims do not reflect the realities many Nigerians face.

“Mr. President says prosperity is on the horizon. Nigerians are asking: whose horizon? Certainly not that of the market woman whose capital has been wiped out by inflation.

“Not that of the civil servant whose salary now expires before the month begins. Not that of the manufacturer struggling under crushing energy costs. Not that of the unemployed graduate who sees no future.

“Certainly not that of farming communities forced off their ancestral lands by terrorists and bandits, families mourning loved ones slaughtered in senseless attacks, or countless Nigerians who now live in daily fear of kidnappers who have turned human lives into commodities.

“And certainly not that of millions of households that have quietly reduced the number of meals they eat each day simply to survive.”

Atiku argued that although every government inherits challenges, leaders are elected to solve them rather than explain how they originated.

“The constitution did not swear President Tinubu into office to explain history. It swore him into office to change it. Every administration inherits problems. Great leaders are remembered for solving them, not for endlessly rehearsing them,” he stated.

He also said the current administration should no longer shift responsibility to its predecessors.

“The Nigerian people are not interested in who created the problem. They want to know who will solve it. A government that still blames its predecessors after years in office is, by its own conduct, admitting that it has run out of ideas,” he said.

The former vice-president further criticised the administration’s economic record.

“President Tinubu may find comfort in blaming those before him, but history will remember his administration as the one under which Nigerians endured unprecedented hardship, institutionalised fiscal recklessness, and one of the greatest appropriation scandals in the annals of our nation.

“The suffering of Nigerians today is driven not by the past, but by an administration that has elevated opacity over transparency, rewarded a privileged circle of cronies, and condemned millions to deepening economic pain, insecurity, and despair.”

Atiku also rejected Tinubu’s suggestion that Nigeria’s population contributes to the country’s difficulties. He pointed to China as an example of how a large population can become an economic advantage.

“It is even more astonishing that a President who constantly invokes China now blames Nigeria’s population for the country’s difficulties,” he said.

“China did not become an economic superpower by complaining about the size of its population. It became prosperous because visionary leadership transformed that population into its greatest economic asset through sustained investment in manufacturing, infrastructure, education, technology, and export-led industrialisation.

“Great leaders convert challenges into opportunities. They do not convert opportunities into excuses.”

He said an administration under his leadership would focus on investments in manufacturing, infrastructure, education, agriculture, and export-driven industries to unlock the potential of Nigeria’s youthful population.

Atiku also described it as insensitive for the president to suggest that Nigerians should accept present hardship because hunger existed before his birth.

“Nobody ‘elected’ Tinubu to eliminate the hunger of 1940. Nigerians ‘elected’ him to confront the hunger of today. The fact that previous generations endured hardship is not a licence to deepen the suffering of the present generation,” he said.

He maintained that hope must be supported by visible improvements in the welfare of citizens.

“Hope cannot be preached to a hungry stomach. It cannot be legislated into existence.

“It cannot substitute for affordable food, stable electricity, productive jobs, quality education, accessible healthcare, or security for families to sleep with both eyes closed. Government inspires hope through performance, not rhetoric.”

Atiku concluded by urging Tinubu to reconnect with the daily realities confronting ordinary Nigerians.

“If the President truly believes that the quality of life is improving, then one must respectfully remind him that the Nigeria he is talking about exists only in his head,” he said.

“It is certainly not the Nigeria where families are choosing between food and medicine, where communities are fleeing armed violence, where kidnappers dictate the rhythm of daily life, and where hope is becoming more expensive than bread.”

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has described his decision to choose former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate as the greatest regret of his political career.

Obasanjo made the remark on Friday during a fireside chat with activist Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, at the launch of Charly Boy’s foundation and the presentation of his memoir, 999: A Memoir in Tribute to Late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa, in Lagos.

Obasanjo and Atiku served together as Nigeria’s president and vice-president between 1999 and 2007. Their relationship, however, deteriorated during Obasanjo’s second term in office.

Reflecting on that period, the former president said he was grateful that Atiku’s actions did not affect his administration or the country.

“The man I picked as my running mate, my number two, if I had known as I came to know him later, I would not have picked him,” he said.

“I mean my vice-president. What I know about him later makes me… thank God because God did not allow his actions and reactions to overwhelm me or to divert my focus from Nigeria or to harm Nigeria.”

Despite his criticism, Obasanjo said he no longer harbours resentment toward his former deputy.

“And then, there is no bitterness because he did things that he believed he should do and God did things He had to do, which made me achieve what I was able to achieve,” he said.

The relationship between the two leaders has remained strained since they left office. Over the years, they have repeatedly exchanged accusations over corruption, abuse of office and political betrayal.

In his 2014 memoir, My Watch, Obasanjo accused Atiku of corruption, disloyalty and placing personal ambition above national interest. Atiku rejected the allegations. He accused the former president of attempting to rewrite history and portray himself as the victim of political persecution during the final years of their administration.

The dispute resurfaced recently after Obasanjo alleged that Atiku gave the late former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’Abba, N5 million to initiate impeachment proceedings against him during his first term in office. Obasanjo made the allegation while responding to comments by former Ogun State Governor Olusegun Osoba on events that preceded the 2003 general election.

In response, Atiku accused Obasanjo of fabricating the allegation to benefit his kinsman ahead of the 2027 general election.

Although Atiku did not identify the individual, President Bola Tinubu shares the same Yoruba ethnic background as Obasanjo. However, Obasanjo has publicly declared his support for Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

By Uzair Adam

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the Presidency for invoking China in its response to him, describing the move as a “monumental own goal” that has only intensified scrutiny of President Bola Tinubu.

In a statement issued on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the Presidency’s attempt to compare his record with China’s legal standards had backfired.

According to him, it was contradictory for the Presidency to celebrate what he described as a routine diplomatic response from the United States government while introducing China into the debate without considering the implications.

Shaibu argued that the Presidency’s spokesman had unintentionally subjected President Tinubu to the same standards he sought to apply to Atiku.

“It takes a peculiar kind of unintelligence for a spokesman to set out to drag an opponent before a hypothetical Chinese court, only to end up dragging his own principal into the dock,” the statement read.

The statement noted that China imposes severe penalties for serious drug trafficking offences, including capital punishment, adding that Atiku had never been indicted or convicted of corruption, drug-related offences or any criminal offence in Nigeria or abroad.

It maintained that if China was to become the benchmark for public accountability, Nigerians were equally entitled to question the implications of the 1993 civil forfeiture of $460,000 to the United States government in a case involving allegations of narcotics trafficking and money laundering linked to Tinubu.

The former vice president further argued that China’s justice system is also known for its strict handling of corruption and abuse of public office.

According to the statement, practices such as approving a national budget allegedly tainted by padding and questionable appropriations, ignoring allegations involving senior government officials, or presiding over worsening economic hardship would not be tolerated under China’s governance standards.

Atiku said the Presidency’s argument had collapsed under the weight of its own contradictions, insisting that invoking China had only encouraged Nigerians to apply the same standards to President Tinubu.

He also faulted the Presidency for portraying the United States government’s response to diplomatic correspondence as evidence of innocence, stressing that such communication does not amount to a judicial acquittal or erase historical records.

The statement urged the Tinubu administration to focus on addressing Nigeria’s economic challenges, insecurity, rising hunger and what it described as institutional decline instead of engaging in political distractions.

Atiku also called on the Presidency to improve the quality of its public communication, arguing that while propaganda may dominate public discourse temporarily, facts would ultimately prevail.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the Federal Government’s reported approval of a uniform ₦50,000 examination fee for WAEC and NECO candidates from 2027, describing the policy as a barrier that would deny millions of Nigerian children access to education.

In a statement issued Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku also criticised the recent fee increases in Federal Unity Colleges, arguing that both measures are economically insensitive and inconsistent with the government’s constitutional obligation to make education accessible to every Nigerian child.

The former Vice President said the policies impose additional financial burdens on families already struggling with record inflation, rising food prices, high transportation costs, electricity tariff increases and widespread unemployment.

“It is unconscionable that at a time when Nigerian families are battling record inflation, soaring food prices, rising transportation costs, crippling electricity tariffs, stagnant incomes and widespread unemployment, the Tinubu administration has chosen to make education even more expensive,” Atiku said.

He argued that education remains the most effective instrument for breaking the cycle of poverty, warning that increasing the cost of schooling would further widen inequality.

“A government that genuinely believes in the future of its people does not erect financial barriers between children and education. It removes them. Education is not a privilege reserved for the wealthy; it is the birthright of every Nigerian child and the foundation upon which prosperous nations are built,” he stated.

The ADC chieftain noted that the proposed examination fee and higher Unity School charges come at a time when Nigeria is grappling with one of the world’s largest out-of-school children populations, estimated at between 10.5 million and 15 million.

“Nigeria already bears the painful distinction of having one of the largest populations of out-of-school children in the world. Any government confronted with such a national emergency should be investing aggressively to bring these children back into school. Instead, this administration is choosing policies that will inevitably swell those numbers,” he said.

Atiku warned that higher examination fees would disproportionately affect children from poor and middle-income households, many of whose parents are already forced to choose between meeting basic needs and paying school-related expenses.

“The consequences of these policies extend far beyond school gates. Every child priced out of education today becomes tomorrow’s victim of unemployment, poverty, child labour, criminal exploitation, drug abuse or insecurity. Nations do not become prosperous by making education more expensive; they prosper by making education more accessible,” he added.

The former Vice President also questioned the government’s emphasis on the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), arguing that student loans cannot compensate for policies that make it difficult for children to complete secondary education or sit qualifying examinations.

“A university loan offers little comfort to a child who has already been priced out of secondary education or cannot afford the qualifying examination required to secure admission. A government cannot credibly claim to be expanding access to higher education while simultaneously erecting financial barriers that prevent millions of young Nigerians from ever reaching the university gates,” he noted.

Atiku called on President Bola Tinubu to reverse the increase in Unity School fees and shelve the proposed ₦50,000 WAEC and NECO examination fee, while convening a stakeholders’ dialogue on sustainable financing of public education.

He also urged the Federal Government to invest more in public schools, recruit additional teachers, expand the capacity of tertiary institutions and ensure that no Nigerian child is denied education because of financial hardship.

“No nation has ever taxed its way into educational excellence. Countries that aspire to economic greatness invest more—not less—in education during difficult times because they understand that human capital is the engine of sustainable development,” he stressed.

The statement comes amid growing public debate over the affordability of education following recent increases in school-related charges and concerns about the rising cost of living.

While the Federal Government has introduced NELFUND to improve access to tertiary education, critics argue that affordability challenges begin much earlier in the education value chain, particularly at the secondary school level where students must complete qualifying examinations before seeking university admission.

The plan to introduce a uniform ₦50,000 examination fee for WAEC and NECO candidates from 2027 has sparked widespread public reactions, with stakeholders calling for clarity from the relevant authorities on the policy.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has asked the federal government to make public the identities of beneficiaries of the N501 billion bond issued to offset debts owed to electricity generation companies, also known as GenCos.

Atiku, who was the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), made the demand after the Association of Power Generation Companies claimed that the funds had not been fully released despite several assurances from the government.

Earlier in the year, the federal government announced the successful issuance of the N501 billion inaugural bond under the Presidential Power Sector Debt Reduction Programme.

In February, the Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Power Generation Companies, Joy Ogaji, disclosed that the federal government owed GenCos about N6.5 trillion.

President Bola Tinubu later approved a payment arrangement in April to clear debts in the sector through the Presidential Power Sector Financial Reform Programme.

Reacting in a statement released on Wednesday through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the comments made by Ogaji had raised questions about how the government was handling debts in the power sector.

He said the call by the APGC chief for details of the disbursement to be made public had exposed concerns about accountability and transparency.

“Dr. Ogaji’s vivid description of the government’s token payment as ‘like rubbing oil on a crying child’s mouth to imply that he had eaten’ perfectly captures the Tinubu administration’s approach to governance: grand announcements, impressive figures, glossy headlines, and very little substance,” the statement reads.

The former vice-president said repeated announcements by the government on settling electricity sector debts had failed to end the crisis.

“This is no longer a policy failure. It is a crisis of credibility,” he said.

“The question is no longer whether the government is borrowing. The question is why Nigerians are repeatedly being asked to applaud fresh borrowing to solve a problem that government insists it solved only yesterday.”

Atiku also challenged the federal government to publish the names of the power generation companies that benefited from the bond, the amounts paid to each company, the dates the payments were made and the balances yet to be settled.

“Public money cannot disappear into official press statements. Every naira borrowed in the name of Nigerians must be traceable to its destination,” he said.

He accused the Tinubu administration of depending on fresh borrowing instead of tackling the root causes of the problems in the electricity sector.

“Every challenge is met with another ceremony. Every crisis is greeted with another headline. Every unresolved debt is answered with another borrowing plan,” he said.

“Yet electricity generation remains constrained, investors remain uncertain, businesses continue to spend fortunes powering themselves, and ordinary Nigerians still pay exorbitantly for darkness.”

Atiku further called on the National Assembly, the Auditor-General of the Federation and other oversight agencies to conduct a public audit of intervention funds released to the power sector under the current administration.

“Nigerians deserve to know precisely how much has been borrowed, how much has been disbursed, who received the money, and why the debts continue to rise despite repeated claims of settlement,” he said.

The former vice-president added that “darkness has become one of the most expensive commodities in Nigeria” and urged the government to explain how previous loans were spent before seeking additional borrowing.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has confirmed that it has submitted the names and personal details of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its presidential and vice-presidential candidates for the 2027 general election.

The development was disclosed on Tuesday night by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, in a statement shared on X.

According to the party, the nomination details of both candidates have already been uploaded to INEC’s nomination portal.

The announcement signals a major step in the ADC’s preparations ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Atiku, a former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Amaechi, a former minister of transportation and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), are expected to lead the party’s campaign in the next general election.

Further details regarding the nomination process and the party’s plans are still being awaited.

By Uzair Adam

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has won the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primaries held in Kano State.

Announcing the outcome, chairman of the electoral committee, Dr. John Ayuba, said the exercise was successfully conducted across the 44 local government areas and 484 wards of the state.

The collated results showed that Atiku polled 155,595 votes to emerge ahead of other contenders. Mohammed Hayatu-Deen secured 15,914 votes, while Rotimi Amaechi received 9,994 votes.

Dr. Ayuba explained that the results would be forwarded to the party’s National Coalition Centre in Abuja for ratification and official confirmation of the party’s presidential candidate.

He urged party members to remain united and committed ahead of the 2027 general elections to ensure the ADC produces Nigeria’s next president.

Meanwhile, the party has delayed the announcement of results for the Kano governorship primaries pending further directives from the national leadership.

The governorship race is being contested by Ibrahim Ali Amin Little and Malam Ibrahim Khalil, with the party reportedly considering a consensus arrangement to choose its candidate.

By Uzair Adam

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu over the rising wave of killings and abductions across the country, describing the administration’s response as inadequate and repetitive.

Reacting to the recent abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, as well as the killing of several residents in Katsina State, including a pregnant woman, Atiku said the incidents reflected a serious collapse of leadership and security.

In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president expressed sadness over the reported killing of one of the abducted teachers in Ogbomoso, saying Nigerians were living in fear while the government continued to issue what he described as routine condemnations after tragic incidents.

According to him, the Federal Government has failed to take proactive measures against insecurity, noting that presidential statements condemning attacks and promising that perpetrators would face the “full wrath of the law” had become predictable and ineffective.

Atiku stated that Nigerians deserved more than public condolences and reactions after lives had already been lost, insisting that a responsible government should be able to protect citizens and prevent attacks before they occur.

He further argued that the increasing boldness of criminal groups showed that many no longer feared the Nigerian state, adding that communities were being attacked, schools invaded and innocent citizens killed without consequences for the perpetrators.

The former presidential candidate also condemned alleged attempts to suppress images and reports of violent attacks, warning that any government more concerned about controlling public perception than ending insecurity had failed morally and politically.

Describing the situation as a national disgrace, Atiku called for the immediate rescue of all abducted victims in Oyo State and urged authorities to strengthen security operations in vulnerable communities across the country.

He also demanded a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s security architecture, saying the current system was no longer effective in addressing the worsening insecurity.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has reacted to the death of former House of Representatives member, Hon. Abba Anas Adamu, who reportedly died while in the custody of bandits after his abduction along the Kaduna-Abuja highway.

Reports indicated that the former lawmaker was kidnapped on May 3, 2026, and died nine days later despite efforts by his family to secure his freedom.

Reacting to the incident, Atiku described the development as another sign of the growing security challenges facing the country under the current administration.

“His death is yet another grim reminder of the worsening collapse of security under the Tinubu administration,” he said.

The former vice-president spoke through a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.

According to Atiku, the death of a former federal lawmaker in the hands of kidnappers reflects what he described as the government’s inability to fulfil its constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property.

“Let us be brutally honest: Nigeria is under siege, and the Tinubu administration appears either overwhelmed, indifferent, or dangerously incompetent in the face of this national emergency.

“When a former member of the National Assembly can be abducted on one of the country’s most strategic highways and die in captivity, what hope remains for the ordinary Nigerian who lacks visibility, influence, or protection?

“This is no longer about isolated incidents. It is now a horrifying pattern. Nigerians are being kidnapped from highways, farms, communities, and even their homes, while the government continues to issue sterile statements and recycled assurances that bear no resemblance to the lived reality of our people.

“Under this administration, insecurity has evolved from a crisis into a cruel national routine. Citizens now travel with prayers instead of protection. Families sleep with one eye open. Businesses are shutting down, farmers are abandoning their land, and entire communities are being surrendered to criminals.

“A government that cannot secure its highways cannot claim to govern. A government that watches citizens get hunted like prey has failed the most elementary test of leadership.

“It is particularly tragic that the Abuja-Kaduna corridor and surrounding routes have remained notorious theatres of terror despite repeated promises, security budgets running into trillions, and endless propaganda about progress.

“Nigerians deserve answers. What exactly is the security strategy of this administration? Where is the urgency? Where is the accountability? How many more deaths must be recorded before this government realises that press releases do not defeat bandits?

“No amount of political spin can deodorise this failure. A nation where former lawmakers die in captivity while criminals operate with audacity is a nation in distress.

“At this point, what Nigerians need is not another hollow condolence message. They need decisive leadership, coherent action, and measurable results.”

Atiku also sympathised with the family of the deceased, the people of Jigawa State and Nigerians affected by insecurity across the country.

He urged the Federal Government to address the worsening security situation with urgency and take stronger measures to protect citizens.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has cautioned opposition parties against zoning their 2027 presidential ticket to the South, warning that such a decision could undermine their chances of unseating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Olusola Sanni, Atiku described the push for a southern candidate as “self-defeating and intellectually dishonest.” He argued that political strategy and “hard electoral arithmetic” should guide the opposition, not “emotional talking points.”

“The first and most obvious question is this: how does a Southern opposition candidate realistically unseat a sitting Southern president?” the statement queried, noting that no incumbent president has ever lost to an opponent from the same region.

Atiku’s camp further pointed out that by 2027, the South would have spent approximately 18 years in power since the return of democracy in 1999, compared to about 10 years for the North. This, they argued, makes the zoning argument difficult to justify “under the guise of equity.”

The former vice president also accused some politicians of hypocrisy, recalling that they supported Goodluck Jonathan’s presidency in 2011 following the death of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, yet now defend zoning as a sacred principle.

However, Atiku maintained that the Southeast region deserves “a sustainable and credible pathway to national leadership,” not “symbolic tokenism.”