Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has fired back at Sunday Dare, Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accusing the administration of undermining democracy while promoting a divisive governance style rooted in what he described as a “snatch and grab” agenda.
Atiku’s response comes after Dare’s post on X (formerly Twitter), where the presidential spokesperson dismissed a gathering of opposition politicians and dissenting figures within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as a politically motivated move driven by Machiavellian interests.
In a statement issued by his media office on Sunday, Atiku condemned Dare’s remarks made on the opposition as well as on the tariff war between the United States and Canada, asserting that the Tinubu administration’s rhetoric exposes its anti-democratic tendencies.
“The second post is a lame attempt to impugn the credibility of political leaders who seek a better direction for Nigeria,” Atiku said, referring to Dare’s comments.
“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.”
Atiku clarified that the recent gathering of opposition figures was not an attempt to destabilise the government but rather a commitment to fostering democratic ideals, credible elections, and good governance in Nigeria.
“It 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,” he stated.
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election criticized the Tinubu administration’s labeling of opposition activities as “Machiavellian inclinations,” describing such reactions as “unbecoming and a stark attack on the collective impression of our hard-won democracy and the fundamental human rights that it guarantees.”
The former vice president also took issue with Dare’s remarks on international trade, particularly concerning tariffs and Nigeria’s economic relations with global partners.
Atiku condemned what he called “careless remarks” that could jeopardise Nigeria’s diplomatic and trade relations.
“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,” Atiku said.
“We urge the Tinubu administration to practice what it preaches by embracing the Nigeria First ideals instead of the self-entitled and other primordial sentiments it panders to.”
Atiku further accused the Tinubu government of deepening class, ethnic, and religious divisions in Nigeria, claiming that its policies have created disparities in access to social infrastructure.
“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,” he noted, referencing recent government policies perceived as discriminatory.
The statement concluded with a call for unity and responsible leadership. “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 other Nigerian people.”
