Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has heavily criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying it has failed to achieve anything meaningful since coming into office.
Atiku, who spoke through a statement on his X handle on Friday, said the administration has no good record to defend and is only depending on “chaos and division” to survive.
He wrote, “The administration has no achievements to stand on and no credible record to defend, only chaos and division — because that’s the last refuge of the incompetent. And make no mistake — an incompetent captain does not only wreck his ship; he endangers the lives of everyone on board.”
Atiku’s statement followed recent mass defections from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). On Wednesday, the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, and former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa both left the PDP for the APC. A House of Representatives member, Oluwole Oke, also defected the same day.
Speaking about the 2027 presidential election, Atiku said the real battle would not be between political parties but between Nigerians and the suffering caused by the Tinubu government.
“Let us be clear: the coming political battle is not APC versus PDP, or LP versus APC. It is Nigerians versus an administration that has plunged the nation into untold suffering. The economy is in freefall. Inflation is choking the masses. Jobs are vanishing. Youth restiveness is surging to terrifying levels. Nigerians are not just tired — they are angry, and rightfully so,” he said.
He added, “This moment is about collective survival. The real enemy is not one another — it is the Tinubu administration’s abysmal failure. We must reject every attempt to distract us with ethnic, regional, or religious sentiments. These are tools of manipulation, designed to divide and conquer, used by those with nothing else to offer.”
Atiku explained that he decided to speak out after getting calls and messages from concerned Nigerians about the situation of the country.
Reacting to criticisms over his recent visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari, Atiku said there was nothing wrong in political consultations.
“I have been overwhelmed with inquiries from concerned Nigerians, all eager to understand my position on the latest political shifts, particularly the defection of some PDP members to the ruling party.
“Let me be unequivocal: freedom of association and expression are not optional in a democracy — they are fundamental rights. Alongside these stand the pillars of a just and functional democratic society: the people, the rule of law, credible elections, and accountability,” he said.
Atiku also pointed out that political visits to former leaders are normal in Nigerian politics, reminding Nigerians that in 2013, opposition leaders also visited former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida before merging to form the APC.
“So why is it now sacrilegious for me and other leaders to visit Buhari in Kaduna? If you truly believe in freedom of association, then you must respect the rights of all political actors to engage, regardless of party lines,” he stated.
Atiku accused critics of being hypocritical, saying, “When PDP leaders are busy sipping tea and brokering power deals with President Tinubu, it’s called strategic alliance. But the moment I greet Peter Obi, el-Rufai, or visit Buhari, it becomes a national emergency. Hypocrisy and the politics of selective outrage have never been this fashionable!”
Meanwhile, a former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Bode George, said the defections from the PDP to the APC do not pose any real threat to the party.
Speaking on Channels Television’s *Politics Today* programme on Friday, Bode George said, “This is a familiar political episode that holds little long-term consequence for the PDP.”
