Atiku Breaks Silence on Defections, Blasts Tinubu Administration

By Chimezie Godfrey

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has spoken out amid a wave of political realignments that have seen several members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), reaffirming his commitment to democratic values while sharply criticizing the Tinubu administration’s handling of national affairs.

In a statement released on Thursday, Atiku emphasized that freedom of association and expression are fundamental rights in a democracy, insisting that political defections and alliances are part and parcel of democratic practice.

“I bear no grudges against anyone for exercising their right to political alignment,” he stated. “Defections, alliances, and realignments are part and parcel of democratic politics. We’ve seen them before, and we’ll see them again.”

The former vice president also defended his recent visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari, which had drawn criticism from some quarters. He described the outrage as hypocritical, noting that political leaders historically consulted across party lines during major political realignments, including during the 2013 opposition merger.

“Why is it now sacrilegious for me and other leaders to visit Buhari in Kaduna?” Atiku asked. “When PDP leaders meet with President Tinubu, it’s called strategic alliance, but when I greet Peter Obi, el-Rufai, or visit Buhari, it becomes a national emergency. Hypocrisy and the politics of selective outrage have never been this fashionable!”

In a hard-hitting critique, Atiku said the real issue facing Nigeria is not inter-party rivalry but the “abysmal failure” of the Tinubu administration. He cited economic collapse, rampant inflation, rising youth unemployment, and escalating social unrest as symptoms of what he described as a government bereft of solutions.

“This moment is about collective survival,” he warned. “The real enemy is not one another — it is the Tinubu administration’s abysmal failure. Nigerians are not just tired — they are angry, and rightfully so.”

Atiku accused the administration of deliberately stoking ethnic, religious, and regional divisions to distract from its failures, branding the strategy as “the last refuge of the incompetent.”

“The Tinubu administration has no achievements to stand on, no credible record to defend,” he charged. “An incompetent captain does not only wreck his ship; he endangers the lives of everyone on board.”

Atiku’s statement is the latest sign of rising political tensions as Nigeria heads into another crucial political season, with mounting public dissatisfaction and economic hardship setting the stage for what promises to be a fiercely contested political battle.