Nigeria’s ex-VP hits back at President Tinubu, says he founded university during US forfeiture case

Former Nigerian Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has launched a sharp attack on President Bola Tinubu, defending his investment in education and accusing the administration of using political attacks to divert attention from Nigeria’s worsening economic difficulties.

Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), recently said the foundation of his educational venture was laid in 1993, long before he became vice-president, directly challenging Tinubu’s questions about how he established an educational institution while serving in public office. In a statement issued by his Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said his investment began when he was still in business, with the establishment of ABTI Academy, which later developed into the American University of Nigeria. Taking a pointed swipe at Tinubu, Atiku referred to a US court's 1993 forfeiture proceedings involving funds in an account in the president's name. The court described the funds as proceeds of narcotics trafficking or money involved in unlawful financial transactions, according to Atiku's statement.

He argued that the contrasting episodes illustrated the differences between their respective public records, insisting that his business history and entry into politics were transparent and traceable. "My history is traceable. I can show Nigerians how I built my name, achieved success in business and entered public leadership," Atiku said, adding that attacks on his educational investments would not erase his record. The exchange comes as political tensions intensify ahead of Nigeria's 2027 presidential election, with Atiku positioning his Affordable Life campaign as an alternative to Tinubu's economic policies.

Atiku accused the president of failing to ease the financial pressure on ordinary Nigerians, pointing to rising living costs, mounting debt, insecurity and unemployment as evidence of what he described as a failed administration. He also challenged the government's handling of petrol subsidy reforms, arguing that the removal of subsidies had imposed an overwhelming burden on households and businesses without delivering sufficient economic relief.

Atiku claimed that more than 79 million Nigerians had been pushed into extreme poverty under Tinubu's leadership and criticised members of the president's political team for dismissing complaints about hunger. He accused the administration of creating economic hardship while insulting those struggling to survive, saying its response to the country's cost-of-living crisis reflected a failure to acknowledge the scale of public suffering. Defending his proposed economic programme, Atiku said an administration led by him would introduce what he described as a transparent, production-based fuel subsidy linked to domestic refining.

The policy, he said, would aim to bring down energy costs, particularly petrol and diesel prices, while ensuring that ordinary Nigerians directly benefit from the country's refining capacity. He also promised greater investment in social welfare programmes and an overhaul of existing arrangements for distributing assistance to economically vulnerable citizens, alleging that the current system lacked transparency. Using a Yoruba cultural metaphor, Atiku described Tinubu's leadership as a "calabash of pepper", contrasting it with what he said should be a more compassionate and people-centred approach to governance. He further accused the president of attempting to undermine his campaign and keep him off the ballot, but insisted he would contest the 2027 election and defeat Tinubu.

"After three and a half years in office, you have no achievements to campaign on. Your own record of failure is the strongest campaign against you," Atiku said. He maintained that his Affordable Life campaign would continue despite political attacks, pledging to steer Nigeria towards economic recovery, prosperity and development.