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Philip Nwosu And Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Former vice president and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 election, Atiku Abubakar, has accused his political opponents of stealing elections and mismanaging Nigeria’s economy, declaring that he is “competing with thieves” ahead of the presidential poll.
Atiku, who spoke in a video shared on his social media platform on Tuesday night while addressing supporters, also challenged the Federal Government to prosecute him if it has evidence of wrongdoing over power sector projects and privatisation undertaken while he served as Vice President. “We are competing with thieves. They stole the election. Now they have stolen the economy. They have stolen everything.”
Atiku also restated his commitment to restore the fuel subsidy if elected president, insisting that Nigeria has sufficient resources to cushion the economic hardship confronting its citizens.
Atiku clarified his position following comments attributed to his spokesperson, Paul Ibe, which reportedly suggested that an Atiku administration could restore the subsidy and subsequently remove it.
He said several Nigerians had contacted him over what they considered a contradiction between his earlier position and the comments credited to his aide.
“So many Nigerians have been calling me to say that one of my aides had contradicted me in my policy statement as far as subsidy is concerned,” Atiku said.
“I want to repeat categorically that what I said — I will return subsidy — I will. Nigeria is rich enough to look after the welfare of its citizens.”
The former Vice President insisted that his aide was not speaking on his authority, arguing that the removal of petrol subsidy had pushed more Nigerians into poverty.
“Therefore, let it be clearly stated that he was not speaking on my own authority because the removal of subsidy has driven more Nigerians into poverty than at any other time,” he said.
Atiku said the welfare and security of Nigerians would be among the priorities of his administration if elected.
“The fundamental responsibility of the government is the welfare. Two, I will make sure we secure this country,” he said.
His renewed commitment to restoring subsidy came amid a fresh exchange with the Federal Government over allegations concerning power sector projects, privatisation and public assets during his tenure as Vice President.
In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku challenged the government to prosecute him rather than continue recycling allegations dating back to his years in office.
He said the allegations were being resurrected because of his persistent demand that President Bola Tinubu’s administration account for increased government revenues following the removal of fuel subsidy.
“The sudden resurrection of allegations concerning the power sector, privatisation and public assets is a predictable attempt to divert attention from the question confronting the Tinubu administration: where is the money accruing to government after subsidy was removed from ordinary Nigerians?” he said.
Atiku, who chaired the National Council on Privatisation while serving as Vice President between 1999 and 2007, said attempts to link him with alleged irregularities in the power sector had repeatedly been made without prosecution.
He maintained that no amount of what he described as mudslinging would stop him from demanding accountability from the Tinubu administration or proposing economic policies aimed at restoring Nigerians’ purchasing power.
“Nigerians should recognise the coordinated attempt to change the subject from the economic hardship confronting millions of families to allegations that have been repeatedly thrown around without prosecution,” he said.
Atiku said the National Assembly had investigated the power projects but that he was never invited to answer allegations of wrongdoing.
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“The National Assembly investigated the power projects. I was never invited to answer any allegation of wrongdoing.
“Yes, I chaired the National Council on Privatisation as Vice President. But on the power project, I disagreed with its concept and did not preside over its implementation. The responsible minister did. The same applies to the Aluminium Smelter matter,” he said.
The former Vice President argued that successive administrations had had nearly two decades since he left office to investigate and prosecute him if evidence of wrongdoing existed.
“I have repeatedly asked to be investigated. I left office in 2007 and have spent much of the period since then opposing governments in power. If there is evidence that I stole public money, why has no government produced it before a court?
“It is still not too late. Investigate me. Invite me. Produce the evidence. Prosecute me if you have a case. But propaganda cannot substitute for evidence,” he said.
Atiku linked the renewed allegations to the broader dispute over the Tinubu administration’s economic policies, particularly the removal of petrol subsidy and the utilisation of additional revenues accruing to the three tiers of government.
He said Nigerians endured severe economic hardship on the understanding that resources freed from subsidy payments would be channelled into development and measures to improve their welfare.
“They removed subsidy from the poor and promised that the sacrifice would free resources for development. Nigerians accepted extraordinary pain on that promise.
“Today, petrol is more expensive, transportation is more expensive, food is more expensive and the purchasing power of the Nigerian worker has been devastated,” he said.
Atiku argued that while government revenues had increased, fiscal incentives, waivers, tax credits and concessions continued to be extended to powerful economic interests.
“So our question remains brutally simple: where is the people’s money?” he asked.
He accused the government of applying different standards to interventions benefiting ordinary Nigerians and incentives granted to powerful interests.
“You cannot take relief away from the poor, celebrate the resulting revenue and then tell the same impoverished citizens that government intervention on their behalf is economically irresponsible while interventions benefiting powerful interests are called incentives.
“That hypocrisy is precisely what we are challenging,” he said.
President Bola Tinubu had previously dismissed Atiku’s proposal to restore the fuel subsidy, describing the position as evidence of what he termed “serious ignorance on governance and economy.”
Atiku, however, maintained that restoring relief to Nigerians was justified by the hardship occasioned by the subsidy removal and insisted that attempts to revisit allegations from his years as Vice President would not silence him.
“The people who removed subsidy from the poor cannot frighten us into silence by resurrecting allegations that governments with all the investigative machinery of the Nigerian state have had nearly two decades to establish.
“If you have evidence against Atiku, bring it. If you have a case, prosecute it.
“But if you have neither, stop manufacturing distractions and answer Nigerians: You removed the subsidy. You collected the savings. Where is the money?” he said.
