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The Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has dismissed claims by the Presidency that he remained silent following the rescue of the abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State, describing the allegation as false, misleading and easily disproved by publicly available records.
In a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the Presidency’s response reflected either a failure to verify basic facts or a deliberate attempt to ignore his earlier statement because it raised uncomfortable questions about the administration’s priorities.
“It is astonishing that a Presidency with vast public resources could accuse someone of silence without carrying out the most basic fact-checking. There are only two possibilities: either its media handlers failed to read our statement before attacking the opposition, or they deliberately ignored it because they could not answer the issues we raised,” he said.
The former Vice President noted that he had earlier issued a detailed statement titled, “A Nation at War Needs a Commander-in-Chief, Not a Campaigner-in-Chief,” in which he welcomed the rescue of the abducted pupils and teachers, commended the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies for their professionalism and sacrifice, and called for sustained efforts to secure the freedom of all Nigerians still being held by kidnappers and terrorists.
According to Atiku, the statement clearly congratulated the security agencies for the successful operation while also stressing that the rescue of one group of victims should not divert attention from the many other Nigerians who remain in captivity across different parts of the country.
He maintained that the Presidency’s allegation of silence collapses in the face of documented evidence, insisting that his position had been made public long before the government’s response.
Atiku further stated that while he praised the bravery of the security forces, he questioned the President’s decision to remain publicly engaged in political activities instead of personally addressing the nation after what he described as one of the country’s most significant security successes in recent times.
According to him, Nigerians expected the Commander-in-Chief to publicly commend the troops, reassure families of those still in captivity and reaffirm the government’s determination to defeat terrorism and kidnapping.
He stressed that those issues remain unresolved, noting that many abducted schoolchildren and other innocent citizens, particularly in Borno State and other parts of the country, are yet to regain their freedom.
The former Vice President urged the Presidency to focus on tackling the country’s security challenges rather than engaging in political exchanges with the opposition.
“A government confident in its performance does not manufacture controversies or misrepresent documented public statements. Nigerians deserve leadership that is focused on rescuing every citizen still in captivity and delivering lasting security, not one distracted by needless propaganda,” Atiku said.
