President Bola Tinubu and former VP Atiku Abubakar
Presidency has launched a scathing attack on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, describing his quest for the presidency ahead of the 2027 general election as a “flight of fancy” driven by unrelenting personal ambition rather than national interest.
In a statement released on Sunday, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, said Atiku’s repeated attempts to become president over the past two decades have failed to advance national unity or strengthen Nigeria’s democracy.
Titled “Atiku Abubakar’s Flight of Fancy and an Ambition on Crutches,” the statement accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election of relying on divisive politics while lacking the unifying vision required to lead the country.
According to Dare, Atiku has contested for the presidency multiple times under different political parties, including the PDP, Action Congress (AC), All Progressives Congress (APC), and now the African Democratic Congress (ADC), ahead of the 2027 elections.
The presidential aide argued that Atiku’s prolonged presidential ambition had “done little to elevate the standards of modern democratic inclusivity or national cohesion,” alleging instead that it had deepened political and ethnic divisions.
Dare also criticized what he described as Atiku’s reliance on foreign lobbying, referring to reports that the former vice president engaged a United States-based lobbying firm under a $1.2 million contract to advance his political interests abroad.
He said such a move amounted to taking Nigeria’s domestic political disputes to foreign capitals instead of engaging local democratic institutions.
> “Seeking to internationalize domestic political disagreements by petitioning foreign authorities over decades-old domestic disputes is not statecraft; it is an abdication of home-grown political responsibility,” Dare said.
The presidential spokesman further argued that seeking international backing undermined the work of Nigerian journalists, civil society groups, academics and public intellectuals who have contributed to the country’s democratic development over the years.
The statement also revisited several longstanding allegations that have trailed Atiku’s political career, including references to a 2010 report by the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, allegations surrounding the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), leaked audio recordings during the 2023 election cycle, and criticisms over the privatization programme during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
While acknowledging that Atiku has not been convicted by any domestic or international court over the allegations, Dare maintained that the controversies continue to shape public perception of the former vice president.
The presidential aide also questioned Atiku’s business interests during his years in public service, saying critics had long raised concerns over potential conflicts of interest.
Defending the Tinubu administration, Dare said the current government remains focused on implementing the Renewed Hope Agenda, citing ongoing economic reforms, infrastructure development, implementation of a new national minimum wage, and social intervention programmes, including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
> “As President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration continues to implement the Renewed Hope Agenda—stabilizing the economy, expanding infrastructure, institutionalizing a new national minimum wage, and delivering landmark social programmes such as NELFUND—Atiku remains trapped in the past,” he said.
Dare concluded by describing Atiku’s latest political moves as “a desperate flight of fancy, haunted by the unexorcised ghosts of a long and controversial political history.”
Atiku Abubakar has consistently denied allegations of corruption and financial misconduct made against him over the years, maintaining that no court has found him guilty of any criminal offence. His camp has also previously dismissed allegations contained in leaked recordings and foreign reports as politically motivated.
