Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has launched a scathing critique of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, citing alleged failures in the economy, insecurity and overall governance.
In his New Year message released on Thursday, Atiku accused the Tinubu-led government of incompetence, lawlessness and political intimidation.
He described 2025 as one of the most “punishing” years in Nigeria’s recent history, attributing the hardship to what he called economic mismanagement and governance devoid of empathy under the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.
The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate said Nigeria endured “economic suffocation, political recklessness and policy bankruptcy” over the past year, alleging that the Tinubu administration operated for months without a functional budget, relying instead on propaganda and excessive borrowing.
Now a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku pointed to the controversy surrounding a disputed tax law as evidence of what he described as deepening decay within the government, declaring that “a government that begins reform with forgery cannot end with prosperity.”
He further accused the ruling party of deliberately weakening Nigeria’s democratic institutions, alleging attempts to impose a de facto one-party state through intimidation and state capture.
Atiku also highlighted worsening insecurity in 2025, with kidnappings, abductions and violent crimes spreading across the country, while rising unemployment, labour unrest and the collapse of small businesses further deepened citizens’ suffering.
“Despite these failures, compounded by the appointment of undistinguished and unfit individuals to represent Nigeria abroad, the country survived, not because of government competence, but because of the resilience of its people,” he said.
Urging Nigerians to remain resolute in the face of hardship, Atiku described the address as “one of the most painful New Year messages I have ever written,” noting that millions are grappling with despair due to what he termed the “callous and soulless policies” of the Tinubu-led APC government.
He condemned repeated calls on citizens to make sacrifices as “cruel,” arguing that leaders who live in comfort while the masses suffer lack moral authority.
“Leadership without shared pain is not leadership; it is exploitation,” he stated.
Atiku also criticised what he described as selective enforcement of anti-corruption laws, accusing the government of weaponising state institutions against political opponents.
“The so-called anti-corruption crusade of this government is a façade — selective, vindictive and politically motivated. It has become a tool for persecuting opposition figures rather than cleansing the system,” he said.
He added that fighting corruption must be impartial, warning that when agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are used against opponents while allies are shielded, justice is undermined.
Atiku further warned that a government capable of tampering with laws could not be trusted to conduct free and fair elections in 2027.
He called on Nigerians to begin mobilisation ahead of the polls, urging citizens to vote and defend their votes.
“Let us vote out hunger, insecurity, unemployment, dishonesty, corruption, abductions, lies and propaganda. Nigeria deserves better. Nigerians deserve dignity.
“2026 is the year to till the soil. 2027 is the year of harvest. It is too late to turn back. Let us rise, organise and reclaim our country,” he added.
Atiku has trying been for told the true to FG. but what he forgets is polarization is not calling attention to Nigerian where they votes for him.