Bola Has Been a Very Bad President – Atiku Fires Salvo at Tinubu

By Eshioromeh Sebastian

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Wednesday launched a blistering attack on President Bola Tinubu, describing him as a disappointment and warning that the presidency has become dangerously powerful under his watch.

“Bola has been a very bad president, to be honest with you,” Atiku said during an interview on ARISE TV. “In the way he governs the country, whether economically or otherwise, it’s a disappointment.”

The comment marked one of the harshest public assessments of Tinubu’s administration by a major opposition figure and set the tone for what the former vice president described as his final political battle.

Atiku, who has sought the presidency multiple times since 2007, also used the interview to make a significant personal declaration: the 2027 election will be his last.

“Certainly yes, the stakes are higher because I believe that will be my last outing,” he said.

When pressed to confirm there would be no turning back, he replied firmly: “That’s incontrovertible.”

Coalition takes shape

The Waziri Adamawa revealed that he is the leading force behind a broad political coalition being assembled to challenge Tinubu in 2027. He said the alliance already includes defectors from the ruling All Progressives Congress, the Peoples Democratic Party, the New Nigeria Peoples Party, and the Labour Party.

“I am one of the initiators of this coalition, or perhaps the leading initiator of the coalition,” he said. “You have elements from APC, from PDP, from NNPP, from Labour. So that makes it a much broader coalition.”

He explained that his push for a coalition was informed by Nigeria’s political history.

“I studied the political history of Nigeria; the only future is a broad coalition,” he added.

Will he step aside for Peter Obi?

In a notable shift, Atiku said he would support whoever emerges as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, the platform the coalition is expected to use. He indicated a preference for consensus but said he would accept a primary if necessary.

“The first option will be to work out a consensus. If that doesn’t work out, then we will go for primary elections. But I will support anybody who emerges,” he said.

When asked directly whether he would step aside for Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku did not hesitate.

“Of course, if he is a contender, why not?” he replied.

Experience vs youth debate

Responding to critics who argue that he represents the past rather than the future, Atiku pushed back, insisting that experience still matters.

“I represent both the past and the future,” he said.

He then took a swipe at younger leaders who have held office, arguing that their performance has fallen short of expectations.

“We have seen various levels of leadership in the country, both young and old, and we’re experiencing them. And I still believe that our expectations of the young leadership are below what we thought,” he said.

Drawing from his eight years as vice president under Olusegun Obasanjo between 1999 and 2007, Atiku stressed that mentorship is essential.

“What I was able to learn from President Obasanjo through his experience, I couldn’t have learned it outside. Young men also require experience to be able to succeed,” he said.

Warning on concentration of power

Beyond his criticism of Tinubu’s economic record, Atiku raised concerns about the state of Nigeria’s democratic institutions.

“We have seen how, virtually, the presidency has almost turned the various institutions that are supposed to be checks and balances under one roof, which is quite dangerous,” he warned.

He also reaffirmed that the North remains his political base, but advocated for formalising zoning in the constitution to ensure fairness in power rotation.

“Even if it is the only amendment I can make, I will move towards that,” he said of his proposal.

The final chapter

Atiku made clear that 2027 represents the end of the road for his presidential ambitions, win or lose.

“That’s left to the next generation to take it on,” he said, referring to leadership beyond the next election cycle.