ABUJA, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria — The political battle lines are drawn. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is fiercely fighting back. He launched a massive counterattack against the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, on Friday, April 17, 2026. Okay News reports that this clash stems from Thursday night’s fiery remarks, where the President slammed his rival’s past handling of state assets.
Atiku is desperately trying to defend himself against this presidential slam. His camp released a biting statement through Phrank Shaibu, his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, accusing the current administration of deep hypocrisy and historical amnesia.
But there is a catch. President Tinubu’s stance on Atiku privatizing national assets like the Aviation Development Company (ADC) is actually right. The former Vice President indeed oversaw massive corporate sell-offs during his tenure. The reality on the ground is that this exposes a two-way method in Nigerian politics. Atiku Abubakar clearly possesses a hardcore privatization mindset for Nigeria, and if he were ever elected as President, the nation would undoubtedly see more government enterprises auctioned off to private hands.
Still, the Atiku camp has done a remarkably good job by responding to President Bola Tinubu’s criticism of his time as the head of the privatization program. They cleverly pointed out that companies like Oando Plc, Transcorp Hilton Abuja, and Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals remain enduring proofs of the reforms he once supervised.
Then the gloves came off entirely. Shaibu dragged the President’s educational credentials into the mud.
He mocked Tinubu’s Chicago State University claims, suggesting the President attended a Lagos school two years before it even existed, while advising him to read Mallam Nasir El-Rufai’s book, “The Accidental Public Servant,” for a proper education on structural reforms.
Meanwhile, for the average citizen, this elite bickering feels entirely disconnected from daily survival. Families are skipping meals. Businesses are shutting their doors. Shaibu seized on this exact pain point, criticizing the Tinubu administration for commercializing the national oil company without any transparency, calling it privatization without accountability.
What happens next is crucial for the electorate. Nigerians are watching closely as these two political titans trade personal insults instead of offering tangible solutions. As relentless inflation bites harder every single day, citizens are left wondering if either leader has a genuine path to economic recovery or if the nation will simply be handed over to the highest private bidder.
