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The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Bashiru, has questioned former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s economic expertise, insisting that President Bola Tinubu is addressing Nigeria’s economic challenges ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Bashiru made the remarks on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday while discussing Atiku’s presidential ambition and the potential challenge he poses to the ruling party.
The APC national secretary questioned Atiku’s professional background and argued that his experience as vice-president did not automatically qualify him as an economic expert.
“Atiku is not a professional, please, with respect to him. Atiku trained as an hygiene expert at the school of hygiene in Kano, He is a ‘Wole wole’ man and went to be a tax collector in Customs. Where is the expertise? What has he done? Check his profile?” Bashiru said.
He added, “So, the fact that you became a Vice President doesn’t make you an expert, what is his expertise?”
Bashiru also accused Atiku of contributing to the economic difficulties the Tinubu administration is trying to resolve.
“If there are challenges that is being addressed by President Tinubu, one of the main people that caused it is Atiku Abubakar,” he said.
Asked whether Atiku posed a serious threat to the APC in 2027, Bashiru described the former vice-president’s latest presidential bid as his final attempt and predicted that Nigerians would reject him at the polls.
“Atiku is the Oginga Odinga of our country and that is what the Vice president said. He is doing his last contest which he knows that Nigeria people would reject him because Atiku you mentioned cannot even come to talk about Nigerian economy,” he said.
Bashiru also criticised opposition politicians promising to reduce petrol prices, describing such assurances as unrealistic and politically motivated.
“You see, some of these people can just come to make statements. I learnt one of them said I’m going to make petrol 200 naira, 300 naira. It is not possible, he is just lying. You must not lie to people because you want to get their votes. You must even say something that is even realistic,” he added.
