Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has launched a blistering attack on President Bola Tinubu, urging him to abandon political grandstanding and focus on Nigeria's worsening economic and security crises. Atiku's rebuke came in response to Tinubu's declaration on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, that he was prepared to "wrestle his opponents to the finish" in the 2027 presidential election. In a statement issued on Wednesday, July 29, by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president described Tinubu as "a drowning man" attempting to divert public attention from what he called an abysmal record in office.
Atiku expressed particular concern that the President made the combative remark while responding to a solemn appeal by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria for credible, transparent and peaceful elections. According to Atiku, the occasion required reassurance and statesmanship, not political bravado. "Mr President, you are a drowning man. Wrestle with your failures, not your opponents," Atiku declared. He argued that Tinubu's response reflected the aloofness that has come to define his administration and demonstrated a troubling lack of the humility and decorum expected of a leader addressing one of the country's most respected religious institutions.
Rather than threatening political opponents, Atiku said the President should channel his energy towards tackling inflation, food insecurity, unemployment, insecurity and the country's economic decline. "The President should wrestle with the millions of Nigerians who now skip meals because food has become a luxury," he said. "He should wrestle with the insecurity that has turned farming communities into graveyards and highways into hunting grounds for criminals. He should wrestle with the unemployment that has robbed an entire generation of hope. He should wrestle with an economy suffocating under policy inconsistency, reckless borrowing and dwindling investor confidence."
The former vice president argued that governments with poor records often resort to political theatrics in an attempt to divert attention from public dissatisfaction. "These are the words of a drowning man. A government that has little to celebrate inevitably seeks refuge in chest-thumping," Atiku said. "But Nigerians are no longer interested in political performances. They are interested in performance in government. Empty slogans cannot fill empty stomachs. Boastful declarations cannot lower food prices. Threats against political opponents cannot restore the value of the naira."
Atiku further contended that the President's biggest political challenge was not the opposition but the performance of his own administration. "His greatest opponent is his own record. Every unpaid worker, every struggling business, every unemployed graduate, every victim of insecurity and every hungry family is a living testimony to the consequences of his administration's choices. That is the contest he has consistently failed to win," he said. The ADC presidential candidate reminded Tinubu that democratic elections are decided by voters, not political bravado. "Democracy is a marketplace of ideas and accountability. Governments earn another term through competence, compassion and measurable results—not through combative rhetoric," he said. "In 2027, Nigerians will not be stepping into a wrestling arena. They will be stepping into polling units to deliver a constitutional verdict."
Atiku urged Tinubu to spend the remainder of his tenure confronting the country's pressing challenges rather than engaging in unnecessary political battles. "The Nigerian people are not looking for a wrestler. They are looking for a leader. History will not remember who shouted the loudest. It will remember who governed the best," he added.
The exchange follows President Tinubu's remarks during his meeting with the leadership of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria at the State House in Abuja on Tuesday, where he declared that he would not yield ground without a fight in the 2027 elections. "Those who would take it from me will try. They will try. All is fair in politics, and there is equal opportunity," Tinubu had said. "I won't offer them a red carpet. I won't offer them the leash to tie me at home. No, we will wrestle each other to the finishing point." Tinubu's comments were widely interpreted as a direct challenge to his main rivals, including Atiku and Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
Atiku's latest criticism comes amid growing concerns over Nigeria's economic and security situation. Earlier in May 2026, he had warned that nearly 35 million Nigerians could face acute hunger between June and August, accusing the Tinubu administration of turning its "Renewed Hope" agenda into "renewed hunger, renewed inflation, renewed insecurity and renewed despair." The former vice president has consistently criticised the government's economic policies, describing the worsening poverty levels as a direct consequence of "poorly conceived and harshly implemented policies."
The ADC presidential candidate's statement also reflects the intensifying political rhetoric as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections. With opposition parties positioning themselves to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress, Atiku's sharp criticism of Tinubu's record and his appeal for the President to focus on governance rather than political battles are likely to resonate with voters who have grown weary of the relentless cycle of violence and economic hardship. For Atiku, the message is clear: Nigeria needs solutions, not slogans; results, not rhetoric; and leadership, not wrestling matches. As he put it, "The Nigerian people are not looking for a wrestler. They are looking for a leader."
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