Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of hypocrisy, distorting history, and acting out of political desperation.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described Tinubu’s recent comments as a “reckless tirade” that reveals “a troubling pattern of hypocrisy and historical amnesia.”
The response follows earlier remarks by Tinubu, who criticized Atiku over his credentials and his role in managing Nigeria’s economy while serving as vice president.
Reacting, Atiku said it was surprising that a president who has faced repeated scrutiny over his own academic records would attempt to discredit others with what he called well-documented public service histories.
“Atiku Abubakar’s attention has been drawn to the latest reckless tirade by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu—a performance that exposes not just desperation, but a troubling pattern of hypocrisy and historical amnesia,” the statement read.
On the issue of privatization, Atiku’s camp argued that Tinubu’s criticisms do not hold up under scrutiny, noting that the president had previously opposed reforms he now appears to be implementing.
According to the statement, Atiku had long supported the privatization of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and the sale of refineries to credible private investors—positions Tinubu allegedly resisted at the time.
However, it claimed the current administration is now overseeing a system that has effectively commercialized the national oil company “in opacity—without clear valuation, without transparency, and with lingering questions about who truly benefits.”
“This is not reform; it is privatization without accountability,” Atiku stated.
“It is not our fault that the president does not and cannot read, because Bola Tinubu has a history of attending a school in Lagos two years before it was founded, upon which he claimed his crooked Chicago State University degree.
“If he were properly educated, he would have acquainted himself with the privatization records in the presidency or the painstaking account of these reforms as captured by Mallam Nasir El-Rufai in The Accidental Public Servant, where the privatization program was clearly documented as a bold and structured effort to dismantle inefficiency and drive private sector-led growth.”
The statement further maintained that Tinubu’s remarks reflect ignorance of facts already documented in public records and credible accounts.
“You cannot oppose reform when it demands courage and then execute a shadow version of it in power,” it added.
