Presidential Adviser on New Media, Olusegun Dada, has criticised former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over his comments on the October 2020 Lekki Toll Gate shooting, accusing him of exploiting the incident for political gain ahead of the 2027 general election....
Presidential Adviser on New Media, Olusegun Dada, has criticised former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over his comments on the October 2020 Lekki Toll Gate shooting, accusing him of exploiting the incident for political gain ahead of the 2027 general election.
Dada, who made the remarks in a post on X through his account, Daddy D.O (@DOlusegun), questioned why Atiku did not raise similar concerns during his visits to former President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina State, and Kaduna.
He cited Atiku’s reported visit to Buhari in Daura on June 22, 2024, and another visit to the former president’s retirement residence in Kaduna on April 11, 2025, arguing that the former vice-president could have used the opportunities to seek answers about the government’s handling of the 2020 #EndSARS protests.
Dada accused Atiku of being insincere in his position on the Lekki incident, suggesting that his comments were politically motivated.
He also defended President Bola Tinubu’s role during the protests, arguing that Tinubu was a private citizen at the time. Dada further claimed that Tinubu’s residence on Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, was nearly razed during the unrest.
The presidential aide also challenged the use of the expression “Lekki Massacre” in describing the incident, disputing the characterisation of the shooting.
The October 20, 2020, incident at the Lekki Toll Gate became one of the most controversial episodes of the #EndSARS protests against police brutality. Reports of soldiers opening fire on protesters triggered widespread outrage in Nigeria and internationally, with calls for investigations into the conduct of security personnel and the casualties recorded.
The incident remains a major point of political and public debate, with differing accounts of what happened, the scale of casualties and the responsibility of government authorities.
Dada’s comments add to the ongoing political exchanges surrounding the protests as political parties and their supporters position themselves ahead of the 2027 elections.
Atiku had not publicly responded to Dada’s specific allegations at the time of writing.