Atiku Slams Tinubu’s Campaign Council, Says It Smacks Of Fear
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has mocked President Bola Tinubu’s expanded All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, describing its size as a sign of fear and accusing the administration of prioritising political alliances over Nigerians’ welfare.
Atiku said the enlarged council reflected a government more concerned with attracting political heavyweights and defectors than addressing rising living costs, poverty and insecurity.
His position was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council.
“Only a man afraid of his record would think he could bury it under hundreds of names,” Atiku said, arguing that the mobilisation of governors, ministers and political defectors would not erase the hardship confronting Nigerians.
He maintained that families struggling with hunger, kidnapping and rising costs needed concrete solutions rather than an expanded campaign structure.
Atiku also faulted the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, describing the venue as inappropriate for a partisan political event.
“The Presidential Villa belongs to the Nigerian people. It is not a campaign venue or the private property of any political party,” he said, describing the move as an abuse of public office and a breach of public trust.
The former vice-president questioned why the council was inaugurated at night within the Villa, insisting that other suitable venues were available in the Federal Capital Territory.
Atiku further accused the Tinubu administration of worsening economic hardship, citing inflation, transportation costs, school fees and what he described as an increase of 17.9 million Nigerians living in multidimensional poverty.
He argued that expanding the campaign council would not improve household purchasing power or address the security challenges facing the country, insisting that voters would judge the president by their daily experiences.
According to him, the ADC has assembled a focused campaign team to challenge the APC ahead of the next electoral cycle.
“Tinubu can keep adding names to his council. He cannot add a name that will make life affordable again for the families struggling under his government,” Atiku said.
He maintained that political endorsements and a large campaign organisation could not substitute for affordable food, improved living standards and public safety.
Atiku’s remarks come amid intensifying political manoeuvres ahead of the 2027 general elections. His claims about poverty and the administration’s performance reflect the ADC campaign council’s position and would require independent verification, alongside a response from the presidency or the APC.
