…Denies stepping down for 2027
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has lashed out at President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Independence Day address, describing it as “self-praise detached from reality” and declaring that “Nigeria’s pot is not only empty but cracked – and the people remain hungry”.
Responding to Tinubu’s October 1 broadcast marking Nigeria’s 65th anniversary, Atiku faulted claims of progress in education, health, security, and the economy. Through his aide, Phrank Shu’aibu, he said Nigerians still suffer crushing hardship despite the President’s “victory speech.”
“The yam may be plentiful, but if the pot is empty, the stomach still rumbles”, Atiku said, listing failings in schools where children still sit on bare floors, hospitals where patients bring their own supplies, rising food prices, and persistent insecurity. He added that Nigerians “still sleep with one eye open, while families bury their dead and pay ransoms as if it were the daily price of garri”.
On youth unemployment, he lamented: “You cannot tell a child to dream big while you steal the mat he sleeps on”. He urged sober reflection rather than self-congratulation at 65, saying true independence must be measured by food on the table, safe communities, working schools, and hospitals that heal.
Meanwhile, Atiku has dismissed reports suggesting he would abandon his 2027 presidential ambition for another aspirant. The speculation followed an interview on BBC Hausa service, in which he said he would support a younger candidate if one emerged through his party’s primaries.
His media aide, Paul Ibe, clarified that Atiku never said he would step down, only that he welcomed vibrant young contenders. “What he clearly said was that if a young candidate emerged through a competitive process, he would support him. Anything beyond that is mischief”, Ibe stated.
Atiku, who remains the leading opposition figure, is doubling down on both his critique of Tinubu’s record and his own positioning ahead of 2027.
