*’After Contesting For Presidency Repeatedly Since 1993, Atiku Should Tell Nigerians What He Intends To Do Differently, Rather Than Spending Time Attacking President Tinubu’
By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
The PBAT Door To Door Movement 2027 has faulted former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar for criticising President Bola Tinubu over his ongoing vacation abroad, describing the attack as an attempt to turn a routine presidential vacation into a political controversy.
The movement said vacation was a normal part of the responsibilities of leaders across the world, stressing that the President’s temporary absence from the country does not amount to a leadership vacuum.
In a statement issued by its National Coordinator, Comrade Sunday Adekanbi Asuku and made available to journalists in Kaduna, the group said Abubakar, also simply known as Atiku, should concentrate on presenting his political programme to Nigerians ahead of the 2027 general elections instead of attacking the President over his vacation.
Recall that in a statement on Sunday, Atiku had said Tinubu’s absence from the country at a time of widespread hardship reflected a ‘’disturbing vacuum of political leadership.”
According to him, the circumstances surrounding Tinubu’s trip raised questions about his leadership priorities.
“Nigeria is burning. Nigeria may not be facing a constitutional vacuum today, but there is a disturbing vacuum of political leadership,” Atiku said.
But, firing back at the Adamawa-born presidential candidate of opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), PBAT Door To Door Movement described Atiku as a “serial presidential contestant without direction,” arguing that after several attempts to occupy the presidency since 1993, Nigerians deserve to know what concrete roadmap he has for the country.
It also accused the former Vice-President of inconsistency over the petrol subsidy matter, recalling that Atiku campaigned in 2023 on a promise to remove fuel subsidy but was now talking about restoring it.
The group said the development showed an attempt to exploit the hardship being experienced by Nigerians for political advantage.
“After contesting for the presidency repeatedly since 1993, Atiku should be telling Nigerians what he intends to do differently, rather than spending his time attacking President Tinubu.
“In 2023, he told Nigerians he would remove fuel subsidy. Today, he is talking about bringing it back. Nigerians deserve to know whether this is a genuine policy position or simply an attempt to deceive people into believing that he suddenly sympathises with them,” the statement said.
The movement reminded Atiku that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had already commenced preparations for the 2027 elections, urging him to take his campaign to Nigerians and explain his plans for the economy, security, employment and other national challenges.
It said: “INEC has rolled out the timetable. Atiku should go out and campaign and tell Nigerians what he has for them. Smearing the name of President Tinubu because he has gone on vacation will not work.
“Presidents and world leaders go on vacation. A vacation does not mean a country has been abandoned. Nigeria has functioning institutions and officials responsible for ensuring that government continues to run.”
The body urged Nigerians to judge President Tinubu based on his policies and performance rather than political rhetoric, while challenging opposition politicians to offer credible alternatives instead of exploiting the country’s challenges for electoral gains.
