Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has delivered a strongly worded assessment of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigeria’s current leader and head of the Federal Government, accusing it of economic mismanagement, worsening insecurity, democratic erosion, and abuse of state institutions.
In a New Year message released on Thursday, January 1, 2026, Atiku described the outgoing year, 2025, as one of the most difficult periods Nigerians have endured in recent history. He attributed the hardship to what he called governance without empathy under the All Progressives Congress, the ruling political party in Nigeria.
Okay News reports that Atiku, who was the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Nigeria’s main opposition party, in the 2023 general election, said the nation suffered what he termed “economic suffocation, political recklessness and policy bankruptcy.”
According to him, the Tinubu administration operated for several months without a functional national budget, relied heavily on propaganda, and increased borrowing while ordinary Nigerians faced deepening hardship. He argued that these decisions weakened public confidence and worsened economic instability.
The former Vice President pointed to the controversy surrounding a disputed tax law as a clear example of what he described as administrative decay. He warned that governance rooted in illegitimacy could not deliver prosperity.
“A government that begins reform with forgery cannot end with prosperity,” he said.
Atiku further accused the ruling party of intentionally weakening Nigeria’s democratic institutions, alleging that intimidation, political pressure, and state capture were being used to push the country toward a de facto one-party system.
He also expressed concern over Nigeria’s security situation, stating that kidnappings, abductions, and violent crimes spread significantly across the country throughout 2025. He linked rising insecurity to economic stress, unemployment, labour unrest, and the collapse of small and medium-sized businesses.
Despite these challenges, Atiku praised the resilience of Nigerians, insisting that national survival was driven by citizens rather than government competence.
“Despite these failures, compounded by the appointment of undistinguished and unfit individuals to represent Nigeria abroad, the country survived, not because of government competence, but because of the resilience of its people,” he stated.
He urged Nigerians to remain steadfast, acknowledging the emotional weight of his message.
“I urge Nigerians to remain steadfast in the face of these hardships. This is one of the most painful New Year messages I have ever written, fully aware of the despair confronting millions due to the callous and soulless policies of the Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress government,” he said.
Atiku rejected repeated calls by government officials for citizens to make sacrifices, arguing that leadership without shared suffering lacked moral authority.
“Leadership without shared pain is not leadership; it is exploitation,” he stated.
Turning to anti-corruption efforts, Atiku accused the administration of selective enforcement, claiming that state institutions were being used to intimidate political opponents.
“The so-called anti-corruption crusade of this government is a facade; selective, vindictive, and politically motivated. It has become a tool for persecuting opposition figures rather than cleansing the system,” he said.
He specifically referenced the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nigeria’s leading anti-graft agency, alleging that it was being weaponised.
“Fighting corruption is essential, but when agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission are weaponised against opponents while allies enjoy immunity, justice is mocked. Institutions must act without fear or favour,” he added.
Atiku warned that an administration capable of tampering with laws could not be trusted to conduct credible elections, urging Nigerians to prepare ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“I therefore call on all patriotic Nigerians to engage, mobilise, persuade, and organise. Prepare to vote and to defend your votes in 2027,” he said.
He concluded with a rallying call for national renewal.
“Let us vote out hunger, insecurity, unemployment, dishonesty, corruption, abductions, lies, and propaganda.
Nigeria deserves better. Nigerians deserve dignity.
2026 is the year to till the soil. 2027 is the year of harvest. It is too late to turn back. Let us rise, organise, and reclaim our country.”
