•Atiku Abubakar
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has sharply criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration over the economy, insecurity and governance, accusing it of incompetence, lawlessness and political intimidation.
In a New Year message released today, Atiku said 2025 was one of the most “punishing” years in Nigeria’s recent history, blaming what he described as economic mismanagement and governance without empathy under the All Progressives Congress-led federal government.
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party said the country endured “economic suffocation, political recklessness and policy bankruptcy,” alleging that the Tinubu administration governed for months without a functional budget while relying on propaganda and excessive borrowing, reports The PUNCH.
According to him, the controversy surrounding a disputed tax law best reflected what he called the decay of the current administration.
“A government that begins reform with forgery cannot end with prosperity,” he said.
He also accused the ruling party of deliberately weakening Nigeria’s democratic institutions, alleging efforts to turn the country into a de facto one-party state through intimidation and state capture.
The former vice president said insecurity worsened significantly in 2025, with kidnappings, abductions and violent crimes spreading across the country, while unemployment, labour unrest and the collapse of small businesses deepened citizens’ hardship.
“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.
“I urge Nigerians to remain steadfast in the face of these hardships. This is one of the most painful New Year messages I have ever written, fully aware of the despair confronting millions due to the callous and soulless policies of the Tinubu-led APC government,” he stated.
He described demands for citizens to make sacrifices as “cruel,” arguing that leaders living in comfort while the masses suffer lack moral authority.
“Leadership without shared pain is not leadership; it is exploitation,” he stated.
Atiku further criticised what he described as selective anti-corruption enforcement, accusing the government of weaponising institutions against political opponents.
“The so-called anti-corruption crusade of this government is a facade; selective, vindictive, and politically motivated. It has become a tool for persecuting opposition figures rather than cleansing the system.
“Fighting corruption is essential, but when agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are weaponised against opponents while allies enjoy immunity, justice is mocked. Institutions must act without fear or favour,” Atiku said.
He warned that a government capable of tampering with laws could not be trusted to conduct free and fair elections in 2027.
He said, “I therefore call on all patriotic Nigerians to engage, mobilise, persuade, and organise. Prepare to vote and to defend your votes in 2027.
“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.”
