- Atiku Abubakar accused President Tinubu of sending surrogates to campaign on his behalf instead of facing Nigerians directly
- The ADC presidential candidate said Tinubu must account for three and a half years of economic hardship before seeking another mandate
- Atiku's campaign council issued the statement on October 15, 2026, challenging Tinubu to personally defend his first-term record
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu of avoiding direct contact with Nigerians while preparing a re-election bid, saying no amount of surrogates can substitute for a sitting president defending his own record.
The statement was issued on October 15, 2026, by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, on behalf of Atiku, who is the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.
Source: Twitter
Atiku said Tinubu's excuse of being too occupied with governance to attend campaign rallies rang hollow against the backdrop of years of economic pain for ordinary Nigerians.
"Tinubu says he may miss campaign rallies because Nigeria needs his attention. Where was that urgency when Nigerians pleaded for relief? He has had three and a half years to govern. In that time, families have been forced to cut meals, postpone medical care and watch their earnings lose value before they get home," Atiku said.
Atiku Challenges Tinubu to Confront His Record
The former vice president said Tinubu owed Nigerians a direct conversation before requesting four more years in office.
"Now he wants another mandate. Before asking Nigerians for one, he must face them and account for the first term. Let him look a mother in the eye and explain what his government has done to make food affordable. Let him tell pensioners why they cannot afford their medicines," he said.
Atiku also pushed back on the president's reported comments about foreign creditors, arguing that everyday Nigerians deserve the same sense of urgency from the presidency.
"Tinubu says American creditors cannot wait. Nigerians cannot wait either. They have bills to pay, children to feed and lives to rebuild. They deserve a President who treats their suffering with the same urgency he gives creditors and investors," the statement read.
Surrogates Cannot Replace Tinubu's Record, Atiku Says
Atiku dismissed the growing network of governors, ministers and political allies being deployed for the president's campaign, saying their presence on the trail changes nothing for voters facing empty markets and rising costs.
"He can fill every campaign stage in Nigeria. He cannot fill an empty pot with surrogates. He cannot send a politician into a market to persuade prices to fall. The people on his campaign council did not receive the mandate in 2023. Tinubu did. He made the promises. He took the decisions. He must face the questions," he said.
The ADC candidate closed by warning that campaign noise would not obscure what Nigerians have experienced.
"Nigerians will hear whatever his surrogates have to say. But when they vote, they will remember what they have lived through. No crowd of politicians can stand between Tinubu and his record," Atiku said.
Source: Legit.ng
Authors:
Hot: