Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has threatened to send President Bola Tinubu back to Bourdillon or Iragbiji.
Bourdillon is where Tinubu has his private residence, located in the upscale Ikoyi area on Lagos Island.
Iragbiji, on the other hand, is a countryside in Osun State, widely believed to be the president’s ancestral home.
Atiku’s statement, which was issued on Thursday night by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, was a direct response to barbs the president threw at him and his compatriots in the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition platform.
“Tinubu fears the coalition. He knows it is the coalition that will send him packing — either back to Bourdillon or Iragbiji,” Atiku said.
The former Vice President accused Tinubu of using state institutions, especially anti-corruption agencies, as tools to harass and blackmail opposition leaders into joining the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“At the 14th meeting of the APC today, President Bola Tinubu took yet another swipe at the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the opposition’s Coalition platform.
Attacking the opposition has now become his favourite pastime — even while the country burns under his watch. This constant attack on the opposition is a distraction by a man clearly overwhelmed by the mess in his own house.
“President Tinubu should first sort out the obvious rift between himself and Vice President Kashim Shettima and the broken Nigerian economy before poking his nose into the affairs of the ADC,” the statement said.
Atiku further accused the president and his agents of sponsoring crises within the opposition parties.
He wondered why the presidency would be resorting to wasting scarce public funds to stir up internal conflicts in a bid to weaken alternative political voices.
Continuing, he said, “We are fully aware that the supposed tensions between supporters of Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi within the coalition were orchestrated by the presidency. Unfortunately for them, their divisive game has failed – the cracks have been sealed, and the coalition stands stronger than ever.
“It’s alarming that more than halfway into his controversial and widely rejected mandate, Tinubu is still leading an APC government that is directionless, incompetent, and completely disconnected from the suffering of ordinary Nigerians.
“While Nigerians grapple with worsening insecurity, hunger, and poverty, Tinubu is busy playing petty politics. He has abandoned governance and is fixated on a 2027 re-election campaign despite having nothing to show for his 2023 mandate.
“Rather than wipe out the bandits ravaging Benue, Plateau, Zamfara, Niger, and other states, Tinubu is more interested in wiping out opposition voices. His goal is clear: to force Nigeria into a one-party state.”
