Atiku Replies Tinubu over How He Built American University of Nigeria
- Atiku Abubakar, ADC presidential candidate, responded to President Tinubu's attack on his investment in education
- Atiku said he laid the foundation for ABTI Academy in 1993, the same year a US court reportedly ordered forfeiture of funds linked to Tinubu
- The former vice president also promised to restore a production-based fuel subsidy if elected in 2027
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Abuja, FCT - Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 general elections, has fired back at President Bola Tinubu after the president questioned how he built an educational institution while serving as vice president.
In a statement released on Saturday, November 7, 2026, by Phrank Shaibu, the Director of Strategic Communication for the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku said his investment in education began long before he entered public office.
Source: Twitter
"In 1993, while a U.S. court ordered the forfeiture of funds in an account in your name, describing them as proceeds of narcotics trafficking or funds involved in unlawful financial transactions, I was laying the foundation for ABTI Academy," Atiku said. The academy has since grown into the American University of Nigeria.
Atiku Challenges Tinubu on Economic Record
The former vice president used the opportunity to broaden his attack on Tinubu's economic record, saying the president had pushed more than 79 million Nigerians into extreme poverty since taking office in 2023. He also took aim at a remark attributed to the campaign's director-general, who he claimed described hungry Nigerians as lazy.
"This government does not even believe Nigerians are hungry. How can you solve a problem you refuse to acknowledge?" Atiku said.
He described Tinubu's administration as synonymous with hardship and said the president had no achievements to campaign on after three and a half years in office.
Atiku Vows to Restore Fuel Subsidy
On the question of petrol prices, Atiku rejected Tinubu's position that Nigeria would never return to subsidised fuel. He promised that if elected, his administration would introduce a transparent, production-based subsidy tied to local fuel refining, which he said would bring down the cost of petrol and diesel for ordinary Nigerians.
He also pledged to overhaul what he called an "opaque system" his government uses to divert money meant for economically vulnerable Nigerians, and said his Affordable Life campaign represented a direct alternative to the current administration's policies.
"You attack my campaign because you know what it represents: an alternative to the hardship you have imposed on the people," he said, adding that he would remain on the 2027 ballot regardless of pressure to step aside.
Atiku closed by drawing on a Yoruba cultural reference, describing Tinubu's leadership as "a calabash of pepper" rather than "a calabash of honey," and vowed to lead Nigeria "back to prosperity, growth and development."
ADC Court Ruling: Atiku Speaks on 2027 Presidential Race
Meanwhile, Atiku has declared he will not step back from the 2027 presidential contest, responding to the court ruling on the ADC leadership with a defiant statement on Friday, November 6.
Legit.ng reports that in the statement, titled 'Bola Cannot Use the Courts to Escape the People's Verdict; We Are on the Ballot', Atiku argued that judicial decisions should not be confused with the wishes of ordinary Nigerians, and that no legal proceedings would push him out of the race.
Source: Legit.ng
