Atiku Abubakar, the former president of Nigeria and the champion of the coalition movement, has alleged that President Bola Tinubu was interfering in the internal affairs of the opposition parties rather than concentrating on governance and fixing the economic problem.

President Tinubu had taunted the opposition parties during the All Progressives Congress (APC) national executive committee (NEC) at the presidential villa in Abuja on Thursday, July 24.

Tinubu, in his statement, stated that it was not a bad idea to dump a sinking ship and a coalition of confusion. His statement reads in part, “It’s not a bad idea to abandon a sinking ship and be absent from a coalition of confusion.”

How Atiku reacted to Tinubu's criticism

Reacting to the president's comment, Atiku, through a statement released by his media team, said that the recent attacks from Tinubu on the African Democratic Congress (ADC) were merely a distraction, describing the president as someone who is overwhelmed by the mess he had created.

The former vice president asked the president to respond to the alleged rift between him and Vice President Kashim Shettima, and as well work on reviving the economy rather than "poking his nose" in the affairs of the opposition parties.

Atiku also accused Tinubu and his allies of sponsoring a crisis with the opposition parties, citing the misuse of public funds in fueling an internal crisis with the intention of killing alternative political voices.

See the content of the letter below:

"PRESS RELEASE

Tinubu Should Fix His Troubled Government, Broken Economy, Not Meddle In The Affairs Of The Opposition

At the 14th meeting of the APC today, President Bola Tinubu took yet another swipe at the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the opposition’s Coalition platform.

Attacking the opposition has now become his favourite pastime — even while the country burns under his watch. This constant attack on the opposition is "a distraction by a man clearly overwhelmed by the mess in his own house."

President Tinubu should first sort out the obvious rift between himself and Vice President Kashim Shettima and the broken Nigerian economy before poking his nose into the affairs of the ADC.

We wish to state for the records that Tinubu and his political camp have been sponsoring crises within the opposition parties. It beats our imagination as to why the presidency is resorting to wasting scarce public funds to stir up internal conflicts in a bid to weaken alternative political voices.

"We are fully aware that the supposed tensions between supporters of Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi within the Coalition were orchestrated by the presidency. Unfortunately for them, their divisive game has failed - the cracks have been sealed, and the Coalition stands stronger than ever."

It’s alarming that more than halfway into his controversial and widely rejected mandate, Tinubu is still leading an APC government that is directionless, incompetent, and completely disconnected from the suffering of ordinary Nigerians.

While Nigerians grapple with worsening insecurity, hunger, and poverty, Tinubu is busy playing petty politics. He has abandoned governance and is fixated on a 2027 re-election campaign despite having nothing to show for his 2023 mandate.

Rather than wipe out the bandits ravaging Benue, Plateau, Zamfara, Niger, and other states, Tinubu is more interested in wiping out opposition voices. His goal is clear: to force Nigeria into a one-party state.

He is now using state institutions — especially anti-corruption agencies — as tools to harass and blackmail opposition leaders into joining the APC. But let the truth be told: Tinubu fears the Coalition. He knows it is the Coalition that will send him packing — either back to Bourdillon or Iragbiji.

Signed:
Paul Ibe
Atiku Media Office
Abuja
July 24, 2025."