NIGERIA: ‘Coming Political Battle Not APC Versus PDP, Or LP Versus APC’ – Atiku

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria 

Nigerian Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has declared that the looming political showdown in Nigeria will not be a mere contest between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or Labor Party (LP).

He declared that it will be a struggle between the Nigerian people and what he described as a failing administration under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In a strongly worded statement posted on his verified social media handle on Friday, Atiku responded to growing questions surrounding recent political movements, including defections from the PDP to the ruling APC and his own recent meetings with key political figures across party lines.

He said he remained committed to the core values of democracy, freedom of association, the rule of law, credible elections, and accountability.

He insisted that anyone attacking him for exercising his right to associate with other political actors was missing the point.

“Let me be unequivocal: freedom of association and expression are not optional in a democracy — they are fundamental rights,” Atiku wrote, stressing that defections, alliances, and political realignments are natural features of democratic engagement.

His remarks come amid intense public debate following his visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari in Kaduna, a move that drew criticism from some quarters.

Addressing the backlash, Atiku reminded critics that consultations across political lines were not new, pointing to the broad consultations that preceded the 2013 opposition merger which led to the formation of the APC.

“When PDP leaders are busy sipping tea and brokering power deals with President Tinubu, it’s called strategic alliance. But the moment I greet Peter Obi, el-Rufai, or visit Buhari, it becomes a national emergency. Hypocrisy and the politics of selective outrage have never been this fashionable,” he fired back.

Shifting the focus from party politics, Atiku declared that the real political contest ahead is not about APC versus PDP or LP versus APC, but rather Nigerians uniting against a leadership that, in his words, has failed to deliver on economic stability, job creation, and security.

“The coming political battle is not APC versus PDP, or LP versus APC. It is Nigerians versus an administration that has plunged the nation into untold suffering. The economy is in freefall. Inflation is choking the masses. Jobs are vanishing. Youth restiveness is surging to terrifying levels,” Atiku stated.

He accused the Tinubu administration of lacking any tangible achievements and relying instead on divisive tactics to hold on to power.

According to him, “The Tinubu administration has no achievements to stand on, no credible record to defend. Its only strategy is chaos and division, because that’s the last refuge of the incompetent.”

Atiku concluded with a stark warning that the longer the country tolerates what he described as administrative incompetence, the greater the risk to national unity and survival.

“An incompetent captain does not only wreck his ship; he endangers the lives of everyone on board,” he cautioned.