Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has delivered a scathing critique of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, accusing it of failing to achieve anything meaningful since assuming office.
In a statement posted on his X handle on Friday, Atiku said the administration had no achievements to showcase and was relying solely on “chaos and division” to survive.
He wrote, “The administration has no achievements to stand on and no credible record to defend, only chaos and division — because that’s the last refuge of the incompetent. And make no mistake — an incompetent captain does not only wreck his ship; he endangers the lives of everyone on board.”
Atiku’s remarks come in the wake of recent mass defections from the Peoples Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress. On Wednesday, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa defected to the APC. A member of the House of Representatives, Oluwole Oke, also announced his defection the same day.
Turning his attention to the 2027 presidential election, Atiku stressed that the real contest would not be between political parties but between Nigerians and the hardship allegedly inflicted by the Tinubu administration.
“Let us be clear: the coming political battle is not APC versus PDP, or LP versus APC. It is Nigerians versus an administration that has 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,” he said.
He continued, “This moment is about collective survival. The real enemy is not one another — it is the Tinubu administration’s abysmal failure. We must reject every attempt to distract us with ethnic, regional, or religious sentiments. These are tools of manipulation, designed to divide and conquer, used by those with nothing else to offer.”
Atiku explained that he decided to publicly address the situation after receiving numerous calls and messages from concerned Nigerians about the state of the nation.
Addressing criticism over his recent visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari, Atiku defended his actions, insisting that political consultations were a normal part of democracy.
“I have been overwhelmed with inquiries from concerned Nigerians, all eager to understand my position on the latest political shifts, particularly the defection of some PDP members to the ruling party.
“Let me be unequivocal: freedom of association and expression are not optional in a democracy — they are fundamental rights. Alongside these stand the pillars of a just and functional democratic society: the people, the rule of law, credible elections, and accountability,” he said.
Atiku further pointed out that political visits to former leaders were a longstanding tradition in Nigerian politics, recalling how opposition leaders met with former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida before the formation of the APC in 2013.
“So why is it now sacrilegious for me and other leaders to visit Buhari in Kaduna? 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 stated.
He accused his critics of hypocrisy, stating, “When PDP leaders are busy sipping tea and brokering power deals with President Tinubu, it’s called strategic alliance. But the moment I greet Peter Obi, el-Rufai, or visit Buhari, it becomes a national emergency. Hypocrisy and the politics of selective outrage have never been this fashionable!”
Meanwhile, a former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Bode George, has dismissed the recent defections from the PDP to the APC as insignificant.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Friday, George said, “This is a familiar political episode that holds little long-term consequence for the PDP.”
