Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration, stating it has no tangible achievements to showcase and no credible record to defend.
Reacting to the wave of defections from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku, in a statement posted on his X page yesterday, said the Tinubu administration’s only strategy is ‘chaos and division,’ which he described as ‘the last refuge of the incompetent.’
Atiku compared Tinubu’s leadership to that of an unskilled captain who not only wrecks his ship but endangers the lives of all on board.
He maintained that freedom of association and expression are fundamental rights in any democracy, stressing that every citizen has the right to align with any political party of their choice.
“Alongside these stand the pillars of a just and functional democratic society: the people, the rule of law, credible elections, and accountability. Undermine any of these, and democracy itself begins to crumble,” he stated.
Reaffirming his commitment to democratic values, Atiku said he bears no grudges against anyone exercising their right to political alignment.
“Defections, alliances, and realignments are part and parcel of democratic politics. We have seen them before, and we will see them again,” he added.
Atiku also addressed criticisms surrounding his recent visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari in Kaduna, noting that some political actors resorted to insults over the meeting.
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He argued that Buhari remains a significant figure in Nigeria’s political history, recalling that during the 2013 opposition merger, wide consultations were held with former leaders like Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida.
“So why is it now sacrilegious for me and other leaders to visit Buhari in Kaduna?” he asked. “If you truly believe in freedom of association, then you must respect the rights of all political actors to engage, regardless of party lines.”
He accused some PDP leaders of double standards, noting that when party figures engage with President Tinubu, it is labelled a strategic alliance, yet his own engagements with figures like Peter Obi, Nasir El-Rufai, or Buhari are treated as a crisis.
“Hypocrisy and the politics of selective outrage have never been this fashionable!” Atiku declared.
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He further urged Nigerians to recognise the real political battle ahead, stressing that it is not a struggle between political parties but a confrontation between the people and an administration that has, in his words, ‘plunged the nation into untold suffering.’
“The economy is in freefall. Inflation is choking the masses. Jobs are vanishing. Youth restiveness is surging to terrifying levels. Nigerians are not just tired — they are angry, and rightfully so,” Atiku said.
He warned against distractions based on ethnic, regional, or religious sentiments, describing them as tools of manipulation wielded by an administration with nothing else to offer.
“This moment is about collective survival,” Atiku stressed. “The real enemy is the Tinubu administration’s abysmal failure, and we must stand united to confront it.”
