Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was Friday accused of meddling in the affairs of opposition parties instead of fixing his “troubled government and broken economy”. Former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, stated this in a statement through which he responded to the President’s incessant attacks on the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition which he described as “a distraction by a man clearly overwhelmed by the mess in his own house”.
Tinubu at the All Progressives Congress (APC) national executive committee (NEC) meeting, on Thursday, taunted the opposition parties.
Said Tinubu while imploring Governors elected on the platform of opposition parties to join the APC: “It is not a bad idea to abandon a sinking ship and be absent from a coalition of confusion”.
Responding to the president, Atiku, in a statement released by his media team, asked Tinubu to address the alleged rift between himself and Vice-President Kashim Shettima and focus on reviving the economy instead of “proking his nose” into opposition matters.
Atiku alleged that Tinubu and his allies had been sponsoring crises within opposition parties by using public funds to fuel internal conflicts and weaken alternative political voices.
Read the statement: “We are fully aware that the supposed tensions between supporters of Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi within the coalition were orchestrated by the Presidency.
“Unfortunately for them, their divisive game has failed; the cracks have been sealed, and the coalition stands stronger than ever”.
The former vice-president also criticised the Tinubu administration for being “directionless, incompetent, and disconnected from the suffering of ordinary Nigerians” more than halfway into its tenure.
He said while insecurity, hunger, and poverty were worsening, Tinubu had “abandoned” governance and was already fixated on a 2027 re-election campaign “despite having nothing to show for his 2023 mandate”.
Atiku further accused Tinubu of using state institutions, especially anti-corruption agencies, to harass and blackmail opposition leaders into joining the APC.
Added Atiku: “Let the truth be told: Tinubu fears the coalition. He knows it is the coalition that will send him packing; either back to Bourdillon or Iragbiji”.
