Atiku Accuses Tinubu’s Government of Becoming the Scandal Itself
Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has launched a direct critique of President Bola Tinubu, asserting that the current administration has moved beyond occasional controversies to embody scandal itself.
Speaking on the state of governance, Atiku argued that the sheer volume of issues undermines any claim that they are isolated incidents. He stated, “Nigeria has sadly arrived at that point. The issue is no longer one scandal or another. The issue is the pattern. And when scandals become a pattern of governance, the inevitable conclusion is this: you are no longer managing scandals; you have become the scandal itself.”
He highlighted the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) as the latest episode in a growing list of controversies that have defined Tinubu’s tenure. According to Atiku, the PFIPC affair did not arise in isolation but follows a troubling sequence of events that have cast long shadows over the administration.
The former vice president enumerated a series of unresolved matters: the Humanitarian Affairs scandal, allegations of crude oil theft and illegal tanker releases that vanished without public investigative reports, concerns over alleged discrepancies in the 2024 budget lacking a forensic explanation, and billions spent on refinery rehabilitation while public refineries remain largely dysfunctional.
Further, he pointed to procurement controversies surrounding major infrastructure projects, opaque contract awards, missing procurement records, and appointments of individuals linked to unresolved allegations. “Nigerians have watched a familiar and deeply troubling pattern unfold,” Atiku remarked.
Concluding his remarks, Atiku posed a pointed question to the President: “If every road of controversy leads back to your doorstep, then who, indeed, is the scandal?”
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