Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has dismissed claims by the Presidency that he remained silent following the rescue of the abducted pupils and teachers in Oyo State, insisting that he publicly commended the operation and security agencies.
In a statement issued on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku accused the Presidency of distorting facts, saying it either failed to read his earlier statement or deliberately ignored it.
“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 read.
The response followed remarks by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who criticised Atiku for allegedly failing to react to the successful rescue of the Oriire schoolchildren and their teachers.
Rejecting the allegation, Atiku said he had already released a statement titled “A Nation at War Needs a Commander-in-Chief, Not a Campaigner-in-Chief,” where he congratulated the security agencies and welcomed the rescue of the victims.
“The rescue of innocent schoolchildren from the hands of terrorists is a victory for our gallant troops and a source of hope for every Nigerian family. They deserve the gratitude of the nation,” Atiku had said in the earlier statement.
The former vice president also maintained that while the Oyo rescue was encouraging, many Nigerians remain in captivity across the country and should not be forgotten.
“One successful rescue must not become an excuse for self-congratulation. Our work is not done until every abducted Nigerian is safely reunited with his or her family,” he stated.
Atiku further argued that his criticism was directed at President Bola Tinubu’s absence from publicly addressing the nation after the operation, rather than the efforts of the security agencies.
He added that Nigerians deserve answers on the fate of other kidnapped citizens, especially those still being held in Borno and other parts of the country.
According to him, the Presidency should focus on addressing national security challenges instead of engaging in political attacks against the opposition.
Source: Statement by Atiku Abubakar’s media office.
