ABUJA, Nigeria – On Sunday, May 3, 2026, Nigeria’s former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, announced a forthcoming visit to the United States to discuss the country’s internal security, economic conditions, and governance with international stakeholders.
Okay News reports that Paul Ibe, Media Adviser to Abubakar, issued a statement at 2:52 PM WAT confirming the planned engagements and describing the nation’s situation as an internal crisis.
Addressing the country’s security situation, the statement detailed violence across multiple regions. “From the ravaging violence in the North-West and North-East, to the persistent bloodshed in the Middle Belt, and the growing spread of kidnapping and criminality across the country, Atiku warns that the Nigerian state is steadily losing its grip on its most fundamental responsibility: the protection of lives and property,” Ibe said.
The media adviser outlined economic concerns, citing rising inflation and a weakened currency. “He notes that rising inflation, a weakened currency, and collapsing purchasing power have pushed millions into distress, while policy inconsistency and lack of strategic direction continue to erode confidence in the economy,” Ibe said.
Abubakar rejected suggestions that the visit constitutes foreign interference. “Atiku is unequivocal: telling the truth about Nigeria is not unpatriotic. He rejects the notion that engaging global partners amounts to inviting foreign interference, stressing that Nigeria does not exist in isolation and cannot pretend that its internal failures have no external implications,” the statement read.
Abubakar, who served as Vice President from 1999 to 2007, recently left the Peoples Democratic Party to join the African Democratic Congress. He has hired the Washington based lobbying firm Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C. on a $1.2 million contract to engage with United States policymakers.
The African Democratic Congress is currently experiencing internal leadership disputes and factional divisions.
