Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to put Nigeria first and align its actions with its rhetoric, particularly in promoting national unity and strengthening the country’s democracy.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Paul Ibe, Atiku expressed concerns about the growing divisions along ethnic, religious, and class lines since Tinubu took office.
He accused the current administration of pursuing a “snatch and grab” agenda with no concrete plans to build a stronger democratic system.
“Atiku is deeply concerned about the divisive actions of this administration,” Ibe stated.
“Since Tinubu assumed office, Nigeria has witnessed unprecedented class, ethnic, and religious divisions. Instead of uniting the country, this government seems intent on deepening existing fractures.”
The statement specifically criticised comments made by Sunday Dare, one of Tinubu’s spokespersons, who posted on social media about President Trump’s America First agenda and the challenges facing political leaders striving for democratic progress in Nigeria.
Atiku’s team viewed Dare’s posts as an attack on those seeking to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy and accused the administration of undermining credible elections and good governance.
Atiku’s team also took issue with the Tinubu government’s approach to international relations, particularly a post by Dare regarding the “Tariff War” and America’s trade policies.
They condemned the remarks as irresponsible and contradictory, given Nigeria’s need to foster positive relations with global partners.
The former Vice President called for the Tinubu administration to replace its “self-entitled” approach with a genuine commitment to putting Nigeria first.
He also stressed the importance of healing the nation and addressing the growing concerns over social infrastructure inequality.
“Nigeria has gone through all kinds of class, ethnic, and religious divisions under this administration,” Atiku said.
“This is the first government in Nigeria’s history that categorises citizens into bands, with some Nigerians receiving better access to social infrastructure than others.”
Atiku concluded by urging Tinubu’s government to focus on uniting the country and avoiding careless remarks about other nations, while embracing a true spirit of patriotism and democracy.
