Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has dismissed the Presidency’s allegation that he remained silent following the rescue of abducted pupils and teachers in Oyo State, describing the claim as false and contrary to documented evidence.
In a statement issued on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president said there were only two possible explanations for the Presidency’s accusation.
According to the statement, either the Presidency’s media team failed to verify publicly available information before attacking the opposition or deliberately ignored his earlier reaction because it challenged the government’s priorities.
“It is astonishing that a Presidency with limitless public resources could accuse someone of silence without carrying out the most basic verification,” Atiku was quoted as saying.
“Either they failed to read our statement because they were too lazy to do so, or they deliberately ignored it because it exposed uncomfortable truths about their misplaced priorities.”
The response followed comments by President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who accused Atiku of failing to acknowledge the rescue of the Oyo schoolchildren and teachers nearly 18 hours after the operation.
Onanuga also criticised the former vice president for what he described as a pattern of condemning the government over the abduction while commending Labour Party’s Peter Obi for reacting to the victims’ release.
However, Atiku maintained that he had earlier issued a detailed statement titled “A Nation at War Needs a Commander-in-Chief, Not a Campaigner-in-Chief,” in which he welcomed the successful rescue and commended the security agencies involved in the operation.
According to him, excerpts of the earlier statement were attached to the latest release to demonstrate that the Presidency’s allegation was unfounded.
Atiku said he had praised the courage, professionalism and sacrifices of the security personnel but deliberately refrained from applauding President Tinubu, whom he accused of focusing on partisan political activities at a time of national significance.
“What we declined to do was to applaud a Commander-in-Chief who, at a defining moment of national importance, remained publicly preoccupied with partisan political activities instead of personally leading the nation in celebrating the success of our troops and reassuring families whose loved ones remain in captivity,” he said.
The former vice president also argued that while the rescue of the Oyo victims was encouraging, many Nigerians abducted in other parts of the country, including schoolchildren in Borno State, were still awaiting freedom.
“The rescue of the Oyo schoolchildren brought joy to the nation, but Nigerians are still asking: when will the children abducted in Borno and other innocent citizens across the country also regain their freedom? Those questions remain unanswered,” he stated.
Atiku urged the Presidency to focus on addressing the country’s security challenges instead of engaging in what he described as unnecessary controversies over opposition statements.
“A government secure in its performance does not invent silence where there was a documented public statement. It responds to legitimate concerns with facts and results, not propaganda,” he said.
He added that Nigerians deserved a government committed to securing the release of every citizen still in captivity rather than one preoccupied with misrepresenting the opposition.
In the statement referenced by Atiku, released earlier on Saturday, he criticised President Tinubu for allegedly prioritising politics over national security, arguing that the country needed a “Commander-in-Chief, not a Campaigner-in-Chief” as it continued to battle terrorism, banditry and mass kidnappings.
He also noted that the rescue operation coincided with the launch of the All Progressives Congress’ door-to-door campaign ahead of the 2027 general election, describing the timing as inappropriate.
“No serious government should be consumed by the politics of re-election while innocent schoolchildren have remained in the custody of kidnappers for weeks,” he said, adding that “yesterday should have been dedicated to the war room, not the campaign room.”
