Former Vice President and opposition leader Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for allegedly interfering in the affairs of opposition parties, instead of tackling Nigeria’s worsening economic and security problems.
The criticism was contained in a statement signed by Atiku’s Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, following Tinubu’s latest swipe at the African Democratic Congress (ADC) during the 14th APC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.
The statement accused President Tinubu of using government resources and institutions to destabilise opposition parties, describing his actions as a desperate attempt to push Nigeria towards a one-party state.
It also accused Tinubu of being overly focused on securing re-election in 2027, while neglecting his responsibilities as president and ignoring the daily struggles of ordinary Nigerians.
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 further alleged that the presidency was behind tensions between supporters of Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi within the opposition coalition, saying the effort had 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 criticised Tinubu’s administration as incompetent and out of touch with the real issues affecting Nigerians.
The APC-led government, he said, was ‘directionless, incompetent, and completely disconnected from the suffering of ordinary Nigerians,’ pointing to the rise in insecurity, hunger, and poverty as signs of 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 further accused the president of using anti-corruption agencies and other state institutions to intimidate and pressure opposition leaders into joining 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 urged President Tinubu to stop the political distractions and focus on solving Nigeria’s pressing problems.
The statement also reaffirmed the opposition coalition’s commitment to offering Nigerians a credible alternative to the APC-led government.
