Atiku Abubakar, the 2027 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has challenged President Bola Tinubu to open all his records, as he dismissed the revival of decades-old allegations by political opponents as a sign of desperation.
In a statement issued on Friday, September 4, 2026, Atiku's Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said the sudden resurrection of old claims is an admission that those in power have run out of answers on the economic hardship Nigerians face.
Atiku Responds to Recycled Allegations
Atiku said the allegations now being revived were fully ventilated during a period of open political conflict with former President Olusegun Obasanjo. He noted that the issues passed through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), an administrative panel, the National Assembly, and the courts, without producing a conviction.
“At some point, desperation announces itself. When those defending this government can no longer explain why food, transportation, electricity, rent, education, insecurity and healthcare are increasingly beyond the reach of ordinary families, they rummage through twenty-year-old files looking for an escape route. This is panic dressed up as accountability,” Atiku said in the statement.
Atiku Turns Focus on Tinubu
Atiku drew a direct contrast between his own position and that of President Bola Tinubu, referencing a case in the United States where Tinubu reportedly moved to block the release of FBI and DEA records concerning him by raising privacy arguments.
“It is like a man ordering his neighbour to empty his pockets while keeping his own firmly zipped. A man seeking protection for his own records has no business waving petitions at somebody else,” Atiku said.
He repeated his standing challenge for anyone with credible evidence against him to bring it before the courts, adding that petitions and acknowledgement stamps do not constitute legal judgments.
Governance, Not Allegations, Will Decide 2027
Atiku also warned against what he described as the weaponisation of state institutions, insisting the EFCC belongs to all Nigerians and must not become a political tool deployed whenever those in power are losing the argument on governance.
“You cannot feed a hungry family with an EFCC petition. You cannot restore purchasing power with recycled allegations, and you cannot make life affordable by shouting Atiku whenever Nigerians demand answers,” the statement read.
He closed by saying the 2027 general elections would be decided on records, the lived experience of ordinary Nigerians, and the quality of what each candidate offers for the future.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that Atiku backed IPMAN's call for government intervention with domestic refiners to lower petrol prices for Nigerians. The former Vice President cited a fuel affordability index ranking Nigeria 91st, saying an average Nigerian works 44 minutes to buy one litre of petrol. Atiku invited IPMAN to join his 2027 policy coalition and claimed Tinubu's government is plotting to quietly restore fuel subsidies ahead of elections.
