Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu of avoiding direct engagement with Nigerians as he prepares for a re-election bid, asserting that no number of surrogates can replace a sitting president defending his own record. The statement, issued on October 15, 2026, by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, was made on behalf of Atiku, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.
Atiku Accuses Tinubu of Avoiding Accountability
Atiku said Tinubu's excuse of being too occupied with governance to attend campaign rallies was hollow, given the years of economic hardship experienced by ordinary Nigerians. He challenged the president to face the people directly and account for his first term before requesting another mandate.
"Tinubu says he may miss campaign rallies because Nigeria needs his attention. Where was that urgency when Nigerians pleaded for relief? He has had three and a half years to govern. In that time, families have been forced to cut meals, postpone medical care and watch their earnings lose value before they get home," Atiku said.
Tinubu Must Confront His Record, Says Atiku
The former vice president insisted that Tinubu owes Nigerians a direct conversation before asking for four more years in office. He called on the president to look a mother in the eye and explain what his government has done to make food affordable, and to tell pensioners why they cannot afford their medicines.
Atiku also addressed the president's reported comments about foreign creditors, arguing that everyday Nigerians deserve the same sense of urgency from the presidency. "Tinubu says American creditors cannot wait. Nigerians cannot wait either. They have bills to pay, children to feed and lives to rebuild. They deserve a President who treats their suffering with the same urgency he gives creditors and investors," the statement read.
Surrogates Cannot Replace Tinubu's Record
Atiku dismissed the growing network of governors, ministers, and political allies being deployed for the president's campaign, saying their presence on the trail changes nothing for voters facing empty markets and rising costs. He argued that surrogates cannot fill an empty pot or persuade prices to fall in markets.
"He can fill every campaign stage in Nigeria. He cannot fill an empty pot with surrogates. He cannot send a politician into a market to persuade prices to fall. The people on his campaign council did not receive the mandate in 2023. Tinubu did. He made the promises. He took the decisions. He must face the questions," he said.
The ADC candidate closed by warning that campaign noise would not obscure what Nigerians have experienced. "Nigerians will hear whatever his surrogates have to say. But when they vote, they will remember what they have lived through. No crowd of politicians can stand between Tinubu and his record," Atiku said.
