The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress for the 2027 election, Atiku Abubakar, has accused the Presidency of falsely claiming that he remained silent following the rescue of abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State.
Atiku, in a statement issued on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, described the allegation as a deliberate distortion of facts, insisting that he had publicly welcomed the rescue and commended the security agencies involved in the operation.
The former Vice President said there were only two possible explanations for the Presidency's claim: that its media aides either failed to verify publicly available information before responding or deliberately ignored his earlier statement because of its criticism of the Federal Government.
According to him, he had earlier issued a statement titled, "A Nation at War Needs a Commander-in-Chief, Not a Campaigner-in-Chief," in which he praised the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies for securing the release of the abducted pupils and their teachers.
He maintained that the statement also urged the Federal Government to intensify efforts to rescue other Nigerians still being held by terrorists and kidnappers across the country.
Atiku said the reproduced excerpts from the statement clearly showed that he acknowledged the professionalism and sacrifices of the military, contrary to the Presidency's allegation that he ignored the rescue.
He, however, reiterated his criticism of President Bola Tinubu, arguing that while the rescue deserved commendation, the President failed to personally address Nigerians after the operation or publicly recognise the troops involved.
The ADC presidential candidate insisted that the key issues raised in his earlier statement remained unanswered, including the fate of other abducted schoolchildren and victims still in captivity in Borno and other parts of the country.
He urged the Presidency to focus on tackling the country's worsening security challenges rather than engaging in what he described as unnecessary disputes with opposition figures.
According to Atiku, Nigerians deserve a government that prioritises the rescue of citizens and addresses legitimate concerns with concrete results instead of political propaganda.
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