Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has publicly rebuked President Bola Tinubu for questioning his investment in education. In a statement released by Atiku’s Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice‑president said that while Tinubu’s name was linked to a $460,000 forfeiture in the United States in 1993, he was laying the foundation of what would become the American University of Nigeria.
“Again, Bola Tinubu has told Nigerians why they should not allow him to continue as president after his first tenure. He also chose to question my investment in education and ask how I built an educational institution while serving as Vice President,” Atiku said. “The answer is simple: my investment in education predates my time in public service.”
Atiku added that in 1993, when a U.S. court ordered the forfeiture of funds in an account in his name, describing them as proceeds of narcotics trafficking or involved in unlawful financial transactions, he was simultaneously laying the foundation for ABTI Academy. That academy has since evolved into the American University of Nigeria.
He contrasted his “traceable” history with what he described as Tinubu’s “clumsy and foggy” record, arguing that the president cannot erase his past by attacking Atiku’s educational achievements. “You cannot erase it by attacking my record in education,” Atiku said.
Atiku also criticised Tinubu’s administration for plunging the country into a cost‑of‑living crisis, noting that more than 79 million Nigerians have been pushed into extreme poverty. He warned that a president who has caused widespread hardship has no business asking Nigerians for another mandate, and urged that the 2027 election focus on repairing the damage done by the current government.
“Your record is a working example of how a country should not be led. You have created poverty on an industrial scale, pushing more than 79 million Nigerians into extreme poverty,” Atiku concluded, calling for a forward‑looking agenda that addresses debt, insecurity and mass unemployment.
<small>Source: Daily Post Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
