Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has launched a fresh attack on President Bola Tinubu, urging him to move away from what he described as political grandstanding and focus on Nigeria’s worsening economic and security challenges.
Atiku’s reaction followed Tinubu’s declaration on Tuesday that he was prepared to “wrestle his opponents to the finish,” a comment the former vice president said reflected the desperation of a government struggling with its own failures.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described the President as “a drowning man” attempting to divert attention from what he called an unimpressive record in office.
“Mr President, you are a drowning man. Wrestle with your failures, not your opponents,” Atiku said.
He criticised Tinubu’s response to calls by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria for credible, transparent and peaceful elections, arguing that the occasion required reassurance, humility and statesmanship rather than combative language.
According to Atiku, the President’s remarks reflected what he described as the aloofness of the administration and a failure to acknowledge the concerns of Nigerians.
He urged Tinubu to direct his attention towards tackling inflation, food insecurity, unemployment, insecurity and the country’s declining economic conditions instead of engaging political rivals.
“The President should wrestle with the millions of Nigerians who now skip meals because food has become a luxury.
“He should wrestle with the insecurity that has turned farming communities into graveyards and highways into hunting grounds for criminals.
“He should wrestle with the unemployment that has robbed an entire generation of hope. He should wrestle with an economy suffocating under policy inconsistency, reckless borrowing and dwindling investor confidence,” he said.
The ADC chieftain argued that administrations facing public dissatisfaction often resort to political rhetoric to distract from governance challenges.
“These are the words of a drowning man. A government that has little to celebrate inevitably seeks refuge in chest-thumping.
“But Nigerians are no longer interested in political performances. They are interested in performance in government.
“Empty slogans cannot fill empty stomachs. Boastful declarations cannot lower food prices. Threats against political opponents cannot restore the value of the naira,” he stated.
Atiku said Tinubu’s biggest challenge was not the opposition but the performance of his own administration.
“His greatest opponent is his own record. Every unpaid worker, every struggling business, every unemployed graduate, every victim of insecurity and every hungry family is a living testimony to the consequences of his administration’s choices,” he added.
He reminded the President that democratic elections are won through competence, accountability and results rather than political confrontation.
“Democracy is a marketplace of ideas and accountability. Governments earn another term through competence, compassion and measurable results, not through combative rhetoric.
“In 2027, Nigerians will not be stepping into a wrestling arena. They will be stepping into polling units to deliver a constitutional verdict,” Atiku said.
He urged Tinubu to spend the remainder of his tenure addressing the country’s challenges rather than engaging in political battles.
“The Nigerian people are not looking for a wrestler. They are looking for a leader. History will not remember who shouted the loudest. It will remember who governed the best,” he added.
The exchange followed Tinubu’s meeting with members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria in Abuja, where he reportedly vowed to “wrestle” his political opponents “to the finishing point” ahead of the 2027 general election.
The bishops had urged political leaders and institutions to ensure credible, transparent and peaceful elections.
Atiku accuses Tinubu of fiscal recklessness
Also on Wednesday, Atiku accused the Tinubu administration of losing control of Nigeria’s public finances following reports that the Federal Government exceeded its approved borrowing limit for the 2024 fiscal year.
Citing figures from the Budget Office, Atiku said the government borrowed N4.79tn above the limit approved by the National Assembly, bringing total fresh borrowing to N12.62tn.
He argued that the figures contradicted earlier assurances that the removal of fuel subsidy, increased taxation and other economic reforms would reduce borrowing and restore fiscal stability.
“Nigerians were promised that the painful removal of fuel subsidy, repeated tax hikes and other harsh economic measures would reduce borrowing and restore fiscal stability.
“Instead, the country is witnessing the exact opposite: endless borrowing, ballooning debt and unprecedented waste,” he said.
Atiku questioned the source of an additional N3.19tn reportedly obtained as “budget support,” despite no such borrowing provision in the approved appropriation.
He described the development as part of what he called a wider pattern of financial mismanagement, alleging duplication, opacity and waste in government spending.
The former vice president also criticised what he described as duplicated budgets, hidden expenditures under the Service Wide Vote, the creation of unnecessary agencies and increased spending on luxury items while critical sectors remained underfunded.
“The tragedy is that Nigerians are being forced to service debts whose benefits they cannot see,” he said.
Atiku further argued that increased oil earnings should have reduced the government’s reliance on borrowing, noting that higher crude oil prices had generated an estimated N7.98tn revenue windfall.
“A government earning windfalls while borrowing recklessly is not suffering from lack of revenue; it is suffering from lack of discipline,” he stated.
He also raised concerns over rising debt servicing costs, citing figures showing that debt servicing reached N12.36tn, exceeding projections by more than 52 per cent.
“This is not economic reform. It is fiscal vandalism,” Atiku added.
He pledged that an ADC-led government would focus on reducing financial leakages, cutting waste and redirecting public funds towards productive investments.
“The Nigerian people cannot continue paying today’s taxes to service yesterday’s loans while tomorrow’s generations inherit only debt,” the statement concluded.
