Presidency Reacts To Atiku’s Message To Tinubu

The Presidency has responded to the comment by the ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar for calling for the resignation of President Bola Tinubu over rising insecurity in the country.

This was contained in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, describing the statement as “reckless”

Onanuga added that Tinubu is on top of the security situation in the country, contrary to Atiku’s claims.

Recall that Empire had reported that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar has blasted President Bola Tinubu saying he is playing fiddle while Nigeria is drowning in the ocean of insecurity.

Speaking on his X handle, the former Vice President called on the President to step aside if the shoes of governance have proven too big for him.

He ridiculed the President’s decision to travel abroad on a “private” basis especially considering that armed abduction gangs seem to be targeting Abuja and other regions of the nation.

Atiku said, “Tinubu is playing fiddle while Nigeria is drowning in the ocean of insecurity.

“To imagine that the Commander-in-Chief is on a so-called private visit while kidnappers kill a nursing mother and grandmother in Abuja for failing to pay N90m ransom and two monarchs in Ekiti, among other regular tragedies besetting Nigerians.

“If the shoes are too big for Emilokan, he should step aside. Nigeria does not need another Tourist-in-Chief.

“The country needs 24/7 leadership to confront the pervasive insecurity and collapsing economy.”

In a swift response, the Presidency said Atiku’s statement accusing Tinubu of “fiddling amidst some security and economic challenges is to say the least, reckless” and “fell short of what is expected from an elder statesman”.

“We like to believe that Alhaji Atiku is still not nursing the hangover of his electoral defeat and now latches on any issue to attack President Tinubu.

“President Tinubu did not travel without informing Nigerians of his whereabouts. He announced a private visit to France and announced a return date.

“While in France, President Tinubu has been following developments at home and he is on top of the situation in the country. Today’s inauguration of the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum wage bore his imprimatur.

“He is in constant touch with his officials and security chiefs and has directed them to stamp out every form of criminality in the country,” the statement read.

“If Alhaji Atiku is really concerned about security issues and not playing cheap politics, he should have known that President Tinubu is on top of issues and working hard to restore peace to every part of our country.”