The Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has faulted the Presidency for alleging that he remained silent following the freedom of abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State, describing the claim as a deliberate distortion of facts.
Atiku, through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said the Presidency either failed to verify publicly available information before attacking the opposition or deliberately ignored his earlier statement because it raised uncomfortable questions about the government’s handling of security issues.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Shaibu said it was surprising that the Presidency could accuse the former vice president of silence despite what he described as clear documentary evidence to the contrary.
“It is astonishing that a Presidency with limitless public resources could accuse someone of silence without carrying out the most basic verification.
“Either they failed to read our statement because they were too lazy to do so, or they deliberately ignored it because it exposed uncomfortable truths about their misplaced priorities,” the statement said.
According to Atiku, he had earlier issued a statement titled, ‘A Nation at War Needs a Commander-in-Chief, Not a Campaigner-in-Chief,’ in which he welcomed the rescue of the schoolchildren, commended the Armed Forces and other security agencies, and called for sustained efforts to secure the release of all Nigerians still being held captive.
He maintained that the Presidency’s allegation collapsed under the weight of available evidence.
“The facts are now before Nigerians. We did not only congratulate the security agencies, we praised their courage, professionalism and sacrifice in unmistakable terms.
“What we declined to do was to applaud a Commander-in-Chief who, at a defining moment of national importance, remained publicly preoccupied with partisan political activities instead of personally leading the nation in celebrating the success of our troops and reassuring families whose loved ones remain in captivity,” Atiku said.
The former vice president argued that while the rescue operation deserved commendation, it did not erase broader concerns about insecurity across the country.
“The rescue of the Oyo schoolchildren brought joy to the nation, but Nigerians are still asking: when will the children abducted in Borno and other innocent citizens across the country also regain their freedom? Those questions remain unanswered,” he stated.
Atiku further urged the Presidency to focus on addressing the country’s security challenges rather than engaging in disputes with political opponents.
“A government secure in its performance does not invent silence where there was a documented public statement. It responds to legitimate concerns with facts and results, not propaganda.
“Nigerians deserve a Presidency focused on rescuing every citizen still in captivity rather than one preoccupied with monitoring and misrepresenting the opposition,” he said.
