Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused president Bola Tinubu administration of failing in its most fundamental responsibility to protect lives and property.
Atiku’s response followed recent remarks by Tinubu suggesting that insecurity would not force him out of office, a stance the former presidential candidate described as deeply troubling and disconnected from the harsh realities faced by millions of Nigerians.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said leadership is not sustained by defiance but by responsibility, compassion, and measurable action in times of crisis.
“It is not political opponents who will judge this administration, it is the blood of innocent Nigerians being shed daily across our land,” Atiku said. “That blood cries out louder than any declaration of political resolve.”
He lamented the scale of violence across the country, claiming that more than 10,000 Nigerians have been killed since May 2023, with some estimates putting the figure at over 18,000 deaths within two years due to persistent insecurity.
According to him, the figures represent not just numbers but shattered families, devastated communities, and a nation in distress.
Atiku also faulted the President for allegedly dismissing the grief of victims’ families as political manipulation, warning that such remarks trivialise the suffering of bereaved Nigerians.
“It is horrifying that the memories of innocent citizens—slain due to the failure of government to provide adequate security—would be so casually reduced to political rhetoric,” he said.
The former Vice President further criticised what he described as the administration’s indifference to recent attacks, citing an incident in Ilejemeje, Ekiti State, where gunmen reportedly invaded a church gathering, killing a pastor and abducting worshippers.
“It is disturbing that such a heinous incident has yet to attract the empathy or acknowledgment it deserves from the highest levels of government,” he added.
While acknowledging that Tinubu has a constitutional right to seek re-election, Atiku stressed that declining public confidence in the administration is driven by its performance, particularly on security and the economy.
“The worsening cost of living, reckless fiscal policies, and the alarming scale of insecurity under this administration are the real reasons Nigerians are losing faith,” he said. “Leadership must earn trust—it cannot demand it.”
He warned that attempts to silence opposition voices would not salvage what he described as a failing record.
“No amount of deflection or intimidation can rewrite the lived reality of Nigerians,” he said. “Ultimately, the people will decide based on the evidence before them.”
Atiku urged the federal government to urgently recalibrate its security strategy, insisting that rhetoric must give way to concrete action.
“At a time like this, Nigerians do not need bravado; they need protection,” he said.
