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The 2023 Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to practice what it advocates by adopting the “Nigeria first” ideals, rather than focusing on self-interest and other divisive sentiments.
Atiku’s response followed a post by Special Adviser to the President on Public Communication and Orientation, Sunday Dare, on X (formerly Twitter), where the presidential spokesperson dismissed a gathering of opposition politicians and dissenting figures within the ruling All Progressives Congress as a politically driven maneuver fueled by Machiavellian motives.
Dare asserted that Tinubu remained “undistracted and unperturbed” by the meeting, describing future political contests as a “combat” and a “fight” leading up to the 2027 elections.
The former Vice President, in a statement issued by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, on Sunday, urged the Tinubu government to focus on uniting and healing the nation and to avoid making thoughtless comments about other countries or questioning the patriotism of the Nigerian people.
He stated, “That aside, it is a contradiction in terms that the Tinubu administration, which came into power on the philosophy of self-right to rule, will mock Nigerians on matters of patriotism.
“We urge the Tinubu administration to practice what it preaches by embracing the Nigeria First ideals in replacement to the self-entitled and other primordial sentiments it panders to.
“Nigeria has gone through all kinds of class, ethnic, and religious divisions since the advent of the Tinubu administration.
“This is the first government in the history of Nigeria that will put Nigerians on Band A or Band C on the cadre of access to social infrastructure.
“We therefore urge the Tinubu government to unite and heal the nation and desist from making careless remarks about other countries or the patriotism of the Nigerian people.”
He criticized the comments made by President Tinubu’s spokesperson on an issue that could potentially impact Nigeria’s relations with the U.S. and other nations, including key partners in international trade.
The statement read in part “Late in the evening of Saturday, 2 February, the Special Adviser on Public Communication and one of President Tinubu’s Spokespersons, Mr. Sunday Dare posted two comments on his verified X handle.
“The first post made a case for countries to tighten their belts on the heels of the announcement from President Trump’s administration to impose tariffs in line with his America First agenda, and the other post which came much later the same night tried to discredit the actions of political leaders in strengthening democracy and good governance in Nigeria.
“The second post is a lame attempt to impugn the credibility of political leaders who seek a better direction for Nigeria, and, in so doing, Dare painted a picture of what is to be expected in how the Tinubu administration plans to take the next election in the country as a combat and a fight or better still the deepening of their notorious “snatch and grab agenda.
“It is therefore becomes pertinent to tell the Tinubu administration that last week’s gathering of political leaders across the country is aimed at fostering the ethos of democracy in Nigeria; making sure that elections in Nigeria are credible and that democracy is the vehicle for progress and social justice in the country.”
The former Vice President expressed surprise that the Tinubu government would describe these noble ideals as “Machiavellian inclinations.”
It continued, “If the Tinubu administration could describe opposition in a democracy in the language of the era of Dark Ages, we find such behaviour as unbecoming and a stark attack on the collective impression of our hard-won democracy and the fundamental human rights that it guarantees.
“The other post by Dare speaks to the Tariff War – by which the Tinubu administration seeks to interpret President Trump’s America First approach to international trade.”
