“Nigerians’ Confidence in This Administration is Dwindling” – Atiku Criticizes Tinubu Over Leaked Speech, Governance Failures

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has sharply criticized the current administration, accusing it of widespread failure. Atiku, who was the presidential candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last election, specifically taunted President Bola Tinubu over the premature release of his nationwide broadcast.

Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu’s presidential spokesman, had announced late Saturday that the President would address the nation at 7am on Sunday. However, the pre-recorded speech was shared with the media with a 7:30am embargo for the convenience of the Sunday print editions.

Despite these precautions, the speech was widely circulated on social media by midnight, allowing many to follow along verbatim during the broadcast.

Atiku responded to this incident by criticizing the administration’s inability to keep a presidential speech confidential, viewing it as emblematic of broader governmental incompetence. “This administration has failed on all fronts, even in the simple task of keeping a presidential speech confidential,” Atiku stated in a release issued by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe. He noted that the leak underscored the dwindling confidence Nigerians have in the current government, saying, “The premature leak of this speech, allowing Nigerians to read along with the President in real-time, starkly illustrates the media, nay Nigerians’ dwindling confidence in this administration.”

He also denounced the content of Tinubu’s address, calling it hollow and inadequate in addressing the nation’s pressing issues and the demands of ongoing protesters. Atiku expected the President to propose significant reforms, particularly those aimed at reducing the high costs of governance, but found the speech lacking in such announcements.

“At a time when the nation is facing significant challenges, the President’s speech failed to deliver any immediate, tangible solutions,” Atiku remarked. He criticized the President for ignoring key demands of the protesters, such as halting the purchase of new presidential aircraft, reducing the size of his cabinet, and eliminating the costly office of the First Lady.

Atiku concluded by urging the President to acknowledge the administration’s failures over the past 14 months and to discard the notion that the protests are politically orchestrated by the opposition.