Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has pushed back at President Bola Tinubu over remarks questioning his role in Nigeria’s privatisation programme.
Tinubu had, on Thursday, taken a swipe at Abubakar, accusing him of attempting to privatise the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and suggesting his past involvement in privatisation efforts was unsuccessful.
In a sharp response issued by his senior special assistant on public communication, Phrank Shaibu, Abubakar dismissed the president’s comments as baseless and contradictory.
“Atiku Abubakar’s attention has been drawn to the latest reckless tirade by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu — a performance that exposes not just desperation, but a troubling pattern of hypocrisy and historical amnesia,” the statement reads.
Shaibu argued that Tinubu’s criticism clashes with policies currently being pursued by his own administration, noting that Abubakar had long championed the privatisation of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the sale of refineries to private investors.
He alleged that the present government is carrying out similar policies without adequate transparency.
“This is not reform; it is privatisation without accountability,” he said.
The statement further accused the president of ignoring documented history while reducing serious economic issues to political attacks. “You cannot oppose reform when it demands courage and then execute a shadow version of it in power,” Shaibu said.
“The President’s attempt to reduce a serious economic legacy to playground ridicule only underscores a deeper problem: a leadership more comfortable with insults than with facts.”
Shaibu also pointed to the country’s economic situation, saying it contradicts the administration’s reform narrative.
“Across the country, families are skipping meals, businesses are shutting their doors, and hardworking citizens are watching their incomes evaporate under the weight of relentless inflation and a collapsing purchasing power,” he added.
“What has been marketed as reform has translated into hardship without relief.”
He maintained that Abubakar’s public service record remains “clear, documented, and defensible,” while taking a veiled swipe at the president.
“A leader who has not fully resolved questions about his own background should exercise restraint before casting aspersions on others,” the statement added.
