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Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of repeatedly targeting former Vice President Atiku Abubakar whenever general elections approach, describing the alleged pattern as an attempt to make Atiku an “election-year scapegoat.”
In a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja, Frank argued that Obasanjo had consistently blamed his former deputy for the shortcomings of the 1999–2007 administration while failing to accept responsibility as the President who held constitutional authority during that period.
He claimed Atiku played a key role in assembling the technocrats and professionals behind many of the reforms credited to the Obasanjo administration and challenged the former President to own both the successes and failures of his government.
Frank also referenced controversial military operations in Odi, Bayelsa State, and Zaki Biam, Benue State, insisting that decisions taken during Obasanjo’s presidency ultimately rested with him.
According to Frank, Obasanjo’s criticism of Atiku has become a predictable feature of Nigeria’s election cycle.
“It is now a home movie series where you remember Atiku every four years simply to smear your former vice president whenever elections approach,” he said.
He urged Obasanjo to abandon what he described as “stale blackmail tactics” and instead promote his preferred candidate ahead of the 2027 presidential election if he has one.
Frank further alleged that Atiku had been subjected to repeated investigations over the years without substantiating the allegations frequently levelled against him by critics.
He also challenged Obasanjo to direct the same level of criticism at the current administration, arguing that Nigeria’s present challenges deserved greater attention than continued attacks on Atiku.
The former APC spokesman maintained that Atiku had exercised restraint by avoiding a public exchange with his former principal, describing the former vice president’s silence as a mark of political maturity.
Frank said Obasanjo should embrace the role of an elder statesman and emulate the conduct of former military leaders such as Ibrahim Babangida, Abdulsalami Abubakar and Yakubu Gowon.
He insisted that Nigeria’s leadership would ultimately be decided by voters rather than political endorsements, expressing confidence that no individual could determine Atiku’s political future.
