Tinubu Is A Desperate Politician, APC Is An Extension Of His Will – Atiku Fires Back

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has described President Bola Tinubu as an embodiment of a desperate politician.

Atiku, in a statement on Wednesday by his media aide, Paul Ibe, said Tinubu is no longer the activist that people know as he has turned against the ideals that birthed his political career.

He added that President Tinubu has turned the All Progressives Congress (APC) into a party that can not function outside the whims and dictates of Tinubu’s desires.

He also accused the President of turning state institutions into an extension of his will by appointing his political loyalists into such places thereby extending his monopolistic tendencies.

Naijaonpoint reports the position of Atiku comes as a direct response to a statement by the APC which berated the former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate over an allegation claiming that President Bola Tinubu’s administration paid ₦50 million bribe to buy out opposition parties ahead of the 2027 election.

Recall Atiku made the allegation while speaking as a panellist at a national conference on strengthening democracy in Nigeria in Abuja on Monday.

In response, the APC on Tuesday, said an elder statesman like him should not been seen making flippant allegations and challenged the former presidential candidate to provide proof to back his allegation.

Atiku, however maintained that he only spoke the truth to power and urged the APC under the leadership of Tinubu to stop undermining the democratic process in Nigeria by trying to force a one-party state on Nigerians.

He charged the President and the APC to desist from personal attacks and focus on issues.

The statement reads: “On the 27th of January, the Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development convened a distinguished gathering of civil society organizations for a two-day national conference. This event was intended to offer a platform for deep and critical reflection on Nigeria’s democracy and the pressing question of its sustainability.

“It was meant to be a moment of intellectual engagement, an opportunity for civil society to collaborate with political leaders in the pursuit of solutions to reinforce and elevate democracy in Nigeria.

“Among those invited to participate was Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President of Nigeria, a man whose reputation for statesmanship and deep understanding of the political landscape made him a key figure in the discourse.

“During the course of the discussions, Atiku voiced his profound concern regarding the APC’s growing monopoly on power, warning that the party’s actions were steadily eroding the pluralism essential to a true democracy. He accused the ruling party of undermining the autonomy of opposition factions, casting a dark shadow over the future of Nigeria’s democratic integrity.

“Rather than engage in a substantive dialogue to explore these critical issues, the APC, led by President Bola Tinubu, chose to descend into the depths of petty personal attacks against Atiku Abubakar. This was not a mere lapse in decorum, but a repeated symptom of a party gripped by paranoia and struggling under the weight of its own tarnished credibility.

“If there is any political figure in Nigeria who truly embodies the essence of desperation, it is none other than President Tinubu himself. Through his unchecked actions, he continues to blur the line between state power and personal ambition, magnifying his control over both the nation and its institutions.

“The fact that the APC has become a mere extension of Tinubu’s will is a matter of little consequence. What truly alarms political observers — both inside and outside the APC — is the president’s calculated and insidious strategies to systematically cripple any form of social or political opposition. These actions, which Atiku rightfully warns against, are a direct threat to the future of Nigeria’s democracy.

“It is an irony most bitter that a man who once rose to prominence on the back of civil activism and the call for democratic renewal has now found himself in opposition to the very ideals that birthed his political career. This shift from proponent to adversary of multi-party democracy is both tragic and dangerous.”

Atiku’s prophetic warnings have already begun to manifest. He was among the first to call attention to President Tinubu’s plans to populate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with members of his own political party, the APC. Today, the nation bears witness to this very scheme unfolding before our eyes.”

Tinubu On The Wrong Path

Atiku further submitted that since coming into power, President Tinubu has prioritized personal interest above national interest and therefore called for a change of ways by both the President and the APC before they lead Nigeria farther down the wrong way.

The PDP chieftain accused Tinubu of putting his loyalists in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as a way of illegally perpetuating himself in power.

“Atiku also raised alarm over the president’s blatant conflict of interest, particularly with regard to the awarding of lucrative contracts to companies with direct ties to his family. He cautioned the nation against the authoritarian tendencies of the Tinubu administration, warning that it sought to suppress fundamental human rights by charging protesters with treason — a tactic eerily reminiscent of repressive regimes of the past.

“These warnings, though dismissed by some at the time, have proved prescient as each one materializes into a clear pattern of authoritarian behaviour by the current administration.

“Now, the opposition parties find themselves fighting for survival, infiltrated by fifth columnists who have been planted within their ranks, ensuring that no party— whether APC or opposition — remains capable of functioning independently of the president’s whims.

“Moreover, the Tinubu administration continues to consolidate its power by packing the Independent National Electoral Commission with loyalists, further hollowing out the institution’s independence and integrity.

“Therefore, it is with a heavy heart and a sharp admonition that we urge the ruling party to stand before the mirror and gaze upon the true face of desperation — a face that mirrors their own actions and ambitions,” the statement concluded.