Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has chided President Bola Tinubu over his recent comments on re-election amid the escalating security crisis in the nation.
Tinubu had reaffirmed his stance on seeking re-election against all odds on Wednesday, adding that those behind the country’s insecurity, attempting to use it to stop him, would not succeed.
“You are playing into the hands of agents, including my own enemies, who want to use insecurity to get rid of me.
“I’m a very stubborn politician. I just refuse to go. And I will campaign for my second term,” the president had stated.
In his response, Atiku, in a statement issued via his senior special assistant on public communication, Phrank Shaibu, referred to Tinubu’s words as troubling.
Atiku said the Tinubu administration would be judged by the blood of innocent Nigerians being shed daily.
“It is not political opponents who will judge this administration; it is the blood of innocent Nigerians being shed daily across our land. That blood cries out louder than any declaration of political resolve.
“It is horrifying that the memories of innocent citizens slain due to the failure of the government to provide adequate security would be so casually reduced to political rhetoric.
“It is disturbing that such a heinous incident has yet to attract the empathy or acknowledgement it deserves from the highest levels of government, while the loss of lives is instead framed as a political game.
“No amount of deflection or intimidation can rewrite the lived reality of Nigerians. Ultimately, the people will decide, and they will do so based on the evidence before them.
“When lives are lost, and communities are destroyed, governance itself is put on trial. No amount of rhetoric can silence the verdict that comes from the suffering of the people.
“At a time like this, Nigerians do not need bravado; they need protection. They do not need declarations of staying power; they need proof of leadership,” Atiku said.
