Atiku: Tinubu’s Biggest Challenge Ahead of 2027 Is His Administration’s Record

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said President Bola Tinubu’s greatest political challenge ahead of the 2027 general election is not the opposition but the performance of his own administration.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku was reacting to Tinubu’s recent remarks that his political opponents were "crying wolf" over alleged favouritism ahead of the next election because they were "afraid of their own shadows."

President Tinubu made the comments on Tuesday while receiving the leadership of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), led by the Archbishop of Kaduna, Most Rev. Matthew Ndagoso, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. During the meeting, the president assured the bishops that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would remain impartial and provide all political parties with a level playing field during the 2027 elections.

Responding, Atiku described the president’s comments as "the lamentation of a drowning man," accusing him of choosing political bravado over statesmanship at a time when Nigerians expected leadership and solutions to the country’s pressing challenges.

The former presidential candidate argued that it was disappointing for the president to respond with combative rhetoric after the Catholic bishops had appealed for credible, transparent and peaceful elections. He maintained that Tinubu should instead focus on addressing the nation's economic and security challenges.

According to Atiku, the administration should prioritise tackling inflation, rising hunger, insecurity, unemployment, exchange rate instability and declining investor confidence.

He said millions of Nigerians are struggling to afford basic necessities, while insecurity continues to threaten farming communities and endanger travellers on major highways. He also criticised what he described as policy inconsistency, excessive borrowing and worsening economic conditions, which he said have diminished hope for many young Nigerians.

Atiku further argued that political rhetoric cannot mask the realities facing citizens, insisting that Nigerians are more concerned about governance than political exchanges.

According to him, empty slogans cannot reduce the cost of living, lower food prices or restore confidence in the economy. He maintained that the true measure of the administration lies in the experiences of ordinary Nigerians, including unemployed graduates, struggling businesses, victims of insecurity and families battling economic hardship.

"The president’s greatest opponent is his own record," Atiku said, adding that the performance of the administration would ultimately determine how history judges it.

He also described democracy as "a marketplace of ideas and accountability," urging President Tinubu to devote the remainder of his tenure to addressing the country's challenges rather than engaging in what he called unnecessary political battles.

"The Nigerian people are not looking for a wrestler. They are looking for a leader. History will not remember who shouted the loudest. It will remember who governed the best," he stated.

Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) also criticised the president’s remarks. In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party urged Tinubu to focus on combating terrorism, banditry and kidnapping instead of directing attention toward the opposition.

The ADC argued that elections are won through good governance and performance rather than political rhetoric, maintaining that insecurity and other governance challenges—not opposition parties—remain the president’s real opponents.