Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has responded to criticism from Bola Tinubu over his role in Nigeria’s privatisation programme.
Tinubu had earlier accused Atiku of attempting to privatise the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and described his past involvement in privatisation efforts as unsuccessful.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku dismissed the remarks as a “reckless tirade” driven by “hypocrisy and historical amnesia.”
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“Atiku Abubakar’s attention has been drawn to the latest reckless tirade by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a performance that exposes not just desperation, but a troubling pattern of hypocrisy and historical amnesia,” the statement read.
Shaibu argued that Tinubu’s criticism contradicts the policies of his own administration, noting that Atiku had long supported the privatisation of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and the sale of refineries to private investors.
According to him, the current government is implementing similar reforms but without adequate transparency.
“This is not reform; it is privatisation without accountability,” he said.
The statement further accused the president of failing to engage with factual records of past reforms.
“You cannot oppose reform when it demands courage and then execute a shadow version of it in power,” Shaibu added.
“The President’s attempt to reduce a serious economic legacy to playground ridicule only underscores a deeper problem: a leadership more comfortable with insults than with facts.”
Shaibu also pointed to current economic challenges, arguing that they undermine the administration’s claims of progress.
“Across the country, families are skipping meals, businesses are shutting their doors, and hardworking citizens are watching their incomes evaporate under the weight of relentless inflation and a collapsing purchasing power,” he said.
“What has been marketed as reform has translated into hardship without relief.”
He maintained that Atiku’s public service record remains “clear, documented, and defensible,” adding that leaders should exercise restraint in making allegations.
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