ABUJA – Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has challenged President Bola Tinubu to defend his record before Nigerians rather than hide behind governors, ministers and defectors campaigning for his re-election, saying political surrogates cannot shield him from public anger over economic hardship.
This came as the Media Office of the Presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi ahead of 2027 general election, has taken a swipe at President Tinubu for saying he would not accompany the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, APC-PCC, to every campaign event, citing the need to prioritise governance, economic obligations and efforts to attract investors.
Atiku said Tinubu must answer for the hardship Nigerians have endured over the past three and a half years before seeking another four-year mandate, insisting that voters would judge him by their lived experiences, not the promises of his political allies.
In a statement, yesterday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku said: “Tinubu says he may miss campaign rallies because Nigeria needs his attention. Where was that urgency when Nigerians pleaded for relief?
“He has had three and a half years to govern. In that time, families have been forced to cut meals, postpone medical care and watch their earnings lose value before they get home.
“Let him look a mother in the eye and explain what his government has done to make food affordable. Let him tell pensioners why they cannot afford their medicines. Let him explain to young Nigerians why years of study and hard work have still not brought them decent jobs,” he said.
“Tinubu says American creditors cannot wait. Nigerians cannot wait either. They have bills to pay, children to feed and lives to rebuild. They deserve a President who treats their suffering with the same urgency he gives creditors and investors.
“He can fill every campaign stage in Nigeria. He cannot fill an empty pot with surrogates. He cannot send a politician into a market to persuade prices to fall.
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