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Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has said the Presidency’s attempt to invoke China while attacking him has backfired, arguing that it has instead exposed President Bola Tinubu to greater public scrutiny.
Atiku, in a statement on Saturday in Abuja by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, described the Presidency’s argument as a “monumental own goal,” saying it was ironic that government officials introduced China into the debate without considering the country’s strict laws on drug-related offences.
According to him, the spokesman’s comparison inadvertently highlighted that China imposes the death penalty for the most serious drug trafficking offences, thereby inviting Nigerians to assess the same standard against the President.
Atiku maintained that he has never been indicted or convicted by any court in Nigeria or elsewhere for corruption, drug offences, or any criminal offence, describing this as an undisputed matter of public record.
He argued that if the Presidency insists on using China as the benchmark for accountability, Nigerians are equally entitled to ask how Chinese authorities would treat cases involving the forfeiture of funds allegedly linked to narcotics trafficking and money laundering, as well as allegations of corruption and abuse of public office.
The former Vice President also accused the Tinubu administration of presiding over what he described as a scandal-ridden budget, allegations involving the creation of a fake government agency, and worsening economic hardship, insisting that such developments would attract severe official scrutiny under China’s legal and governance system.
He further criticized the Presidency for portraying the United States Government’s response to diplomatic correspondence as though it amounted to a judicial exoneration, stressing that diplomatic exchanges between sovereign nations are routine and cannot substitute for court judgments or erase historical records.
Atiku urged the Presidency to improve the quality of its public communication and focus on addressing Nigeria’s economic challenges, insecurity, rising hunger, and institutional decline rather than engaging in what he called political distractions.
“The lesson is simple,” he said. “Those who invoke China must be prepared to accept the Chinese standard completely. Accountability cannot be applied selectively.”
The former Vice President urged the Tinubu administration to concentrate on governance, arguing that while political propaganda may dominate the news temporarily, facts ultimately prevail.
