By Emmanuel Kwada
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has thrown down the gauntlet ahead of the 2027 elections, urging Nigerians to confront what he calls the “real enemy” — the Tinubu administration — in a fiery statement that doubles as a blistering critique and a clarion call for unity.
Labeling the current government an “abysmal failure” with “no achievements to stand on,” Atiku framed his vision for a coalition not as a partisan gambit, but as a desperate bid for Nigeria’s survival amid economic collapse and social unrest.
In a press release issued today from Abuja, Atiku tackled head-on the speculation swirling around his recent political engagements, including his visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari and the defection of some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Undermine any of these, and democracy itself begins to crumble
“Freedom of association and expression are not optional in a democracy — they are fundamental rights,” he asserted, underscoring the pillars of a just society: the rule of law, credible elections, and accountability. “Undermine any of these, and democracy itself begins to crumble.”
The former vice president, who served from 1999 to 2007, brushed off criticism of his outreach to political heavyweights like Buhari, Peter Obi, and Nasir el-Rufai. Defending his actions, he pointed to historical precedent: “During the 2013 opposition merger, leaders consulted widely — including visits to Obasanjo and Babangida.
So why is it now sacrilegious for me to visit Buhari in Kaduna?” Atiku called out the “hypocrisy and selective outrage” of those who laud PDP-Tinubu talks as “strategic alliances” but decry his own moves as betrayals. “Hypocrisy has never been this fashionable!” he quipped.
Yet, Atiku’s statement transcended personal defense, pivoting to a scathing indictment of the Tinubu administration’s record.
“The economy is in freefall. Inflation is choking the masses. Jobs are vanishing. Youth restiveness is surging to terrifying levels,” he said, painting a dire portrait of a nation on the brink. Nigerians, he noted, are “not just tired — they are angry, and rightfully so.” Reframing the political landscape, he insisted the fight is not APC versus PDP or Labour Party (LP), but “Nigerians versus an administration that has plunged the nation into untold suffering.”
Atiku accused Tinubu’s government of clinging to “chaos and division” as its only playbook, warning that “an incompetent captain does not only wreck his ship; he endangers the lives of everyone on board.”
He urged citizens to reject divisive tactics rooted in ethnicity, region, or religion, calling them “tools of manipulation” wielded by a leadership with “nothing else to offer.” The real battle, he stressed, is one of “collective survival,” with the administration’s failures as the true adversary.
Tools of manipulation” wielded by a leadership with “nothing else to offer
As the 2027 elections loom, Atiku’s words signal a calculated escalation — a refusal to fade into the background and a bid to rally Nigerians around a shared cause.
“The coming political battle,” he declared, is a fight for the soul of the nation. Whether this sparks a broader opposition coalition remains uncertain, but Atiku’s message is unmistakable: the time for division is over, and the “real enemy” must be faced head-on.
