Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has launched a sharp attack on President Bola Tinubu over the composition and inauguration of the revised All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, accusing the president of prioritising political calculations over the welfare of ordinary Nigerians.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku criticised the length of Tinubu's revised campaign council list. He stated that it reflected the administration's anxiety over its performance rather than genuine confidence ahead of the 2027 elections.
Atiku Questions Use of Presidential Villa for APC Event
Atiku directed separate criticism at the decision to hold the campaign council inauguration at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, arguing the venue belonged to all Nigerians and should not serve as a platform for partisan politics. He questioned why President Tinubu held the event at night inside the Villa when alternative venues were available across Abuja, and argued that a president proud of his record would welcome public scrutiny rather than avoid it.
"The Presidential Villa belongs to the Nigerian people. It is not a campaign venue or the private property of any political party. Using it for an APC political event is a gross breach of public trust and a troubling abuse of public office," he said.
Poverty and Insecurity at Centre of Atiku's Criticism
Beyond the campaign council's size, Atiku challenged the Tinubu administration's economic record, citing the 2026 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, which he said recorded an increase of 17.9 million Nigerians living in multidimensional poverty during the administration's tenure. He argued that expanding the campaign council by drawing members from other political parties would do nothing to reverse rising living costs, curb kidnappings, or provide relief to families struggling to afford food.
"Only a man afraid of his record would think he could bury it under hundreds of names. Tinubu can gather every governor, minister and political defector in Nigeria. None of them can erase the hunger in people's homes, bring back those killed by violence or free Nigerians still held captive," Atiku said.
"When the first list drew criticism, Tinubu had a chance to show that he understood the country's anger. Instead, he returned with an even longer list, reaching into other parties for more names. He is collecting politicians like shields against public judgment. Let him collect them all. Not one of them can cast a vote for the mother who can no longer feed her children or the family still waiting for a loved one taken by kidnappers."
ADC's Focused Campaign Team and 2027 Election Outlook
Furthermore, Atiku stated that the ADC had put together a focused campaign team and maintained that the outcome of the 2027 elections would ultimately be decided by voters' lived experiences under Tinubu's government. "On January 16, the ballot will contain no column for the size of a campaign council. Nigerians will judge Tinubu by the lives they have lived under his government," he said.
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that ChatGPT predicted that the APC would likely win Nigeria's 2027 presidential election, using the Four Horsemen framework. It cited the opposition coalition but said the APC had the edge due to possible low voter turnout and the Tinubu administration's efforts to stabilise the economy.
