The All Progressives Congress (APC) has asked former Vice President Atiku Abubakar the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate to retire from active politics saying he has nothing new to offer Nigerians.
The ruling party said Atiku failed to address the country’s socio-economic challenges during his eight years as Vice President and should not present himself as the solution to problems his administration helped create.
Addressing newsmen in Kano on Thursday APC Presidential Campaign Spokesperson Mallam Alwan Hassan said Atiku should take responsibility for unresolved national problems rather than seek to govern the country.
‘It is extremely offensive that Atiku who served in an administration and was a member of the party that created and left many of Nigeria’s longstanding problems unresolved now presents himself as the answer to those same problems’ Hassan said.
Hassan said Atiku’s repeated unsuccessful bids for the presidency showed Nigerians were unwilling to entrust the nation’s destiny to him.
He also questioned the source of the former Vice President’s wealth saying his transition from the Customs Service to a billionaire remained insufficiently explained.
He further alleged that Atiku was disposing of some of his assets to finance his political ambition warning that public office should not be used to recoup personal investments.
On the North the APC spokesman dismissed claims that the region would not vote for President Bola Tinubu in 2027 and challenged Atiku to show evidence of his contributions to the region’s development in the last 27 years.
‘And on the North Atiku must account for his record. The people of the North deserve more than declarations of his pretentious concern. What has he done for the North in 27 years? Where are his investments? In Dubai! Yet he wants us to believe he has the North’s interest at heart?’ he queried.
On Peter Obi presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) Hassan said the North would not risk its votes on any candidate but Tinubu.
He alleged that the former Anambra State governor failed to demonstrate democratic credentials by not holding local government elections during his eight years in office and accused him of switching parties to avoid competitive primaries.
Speaking on why the North will support Tinubu’s re-election Hassan said the President’s capital investments and socio-economic policies in the region justified his return.
He said Tinubu inherited a fragile economy citing the Federal Government’s State of the Economy presentation to the Federal Executive Council on October 28 2026.
According to him Nigeria’s economy grew by only 2.74 per cent in 2023 with net usable external reserves of about $859 million despite gross reserves of $35 billion a fragmented foreign exchange market with spreads exceeding 60 per cent a tax-to-GDP ratio of about 7 per cent and debt servicing consuming about 97 per cent of government revenue.
‘The administration responded with reforms intended to address structural weaknesses in public finance foreign exchange management and allocation of national resources. The removal of the petrol subsidy and restructuring of the foreign exchange market were among the most consequential decisions. They also imposed significant adjustment costs on Nigerians.
‘However nearly three and a half years into the administration the available indicators provide an opportunity to assess progress. The economy recorded real GDP growth of 4.43 per cent in the second quarter of 2026 compared with annual growth of 2.74 per cent in 2023’ Hassan said.