The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has said President Bola Tinubu cannot escape public judgment over the country’s economic hardship and insecurity by surrounding himself with influential politicians.
Atiku said the expansion of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council would neither erase the difficulties Nigerians were facing nor guarantee the President another term in office.
He made the remarks in a statement issued on Wednesday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council.
The former vice-president also criticised the inauguration of the APC campaign council at the Presidential Villa, describing the move as an improper use of public property for party activities.
According to him, the growing number of political figures in the campaign council would not change how Nigerians assessed the administration.
“Only a man afraid of his record would think he could bury it under hundreds of names. None of them can erase the hunger in people’s homes, bring back those killed by violence, or free Nigerians still held captive,” he said.
Atiku questioned the need for an expanded campaign structure when many Nigerians were struggling with the rising cost of living and insecurity.
He argued that the President should focus more on addressing the challenges facing citizens than on building political alliances ahead of the next general election.
On the use of the Presidential Villa for the inauguration of the APC campaign council, Atiku said the facility belonged to all Nigerians and should not be used as a venue for partisan political activities.
The former vice-president also cited a reported increase of 17.9 million Nigerians living in multidimensional poverty, arguing that the figure reflected the difficulties facing the country under Tinubu’s administration.
He said the combination of economic hardship and insecurity had left many Nigerians struggling, adding that the government would have to answer for its record before voters.
Atiku further said the ADC was putting together its campaign team to challenge the APC, insisting that political endorsements would not outweigh the experiences of ordinary Nigerians.
“No crowd of politicians can stand between a President and his abysmal record. Tinubu can surround himself with every political heavyweight in Nigeria; on election day, he will still face the people who lived through his failures and their list is much longer,” he said.
‘Tinubu will still face people who lived through his failures’ – Atiku