The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has pushed back against claims by the Presidency that he failed to acknowledge the rescue of abducted pupils and teachers in Oyo State, describing the accusation as false and misleading.
The former vice president was reacting to comments by President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who criticised him for allegedly remaining silent nearly 18 hours after security forces rescued the victims from captivity.
However, Atiku insisted that the allegation does not stand up to scrutiny, maintaining that he had publicly welcomed the rescue operation long before the Presidency accused him of ignoring the development.
In a statement issued on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the Presidency either failed to verify the facts or deliberately chose to ignore his earlier statement.
“It is astonishing that a Presidency with limitless public resources could accuse someone of silence without carrying out the most basic verification,” the statement read.
“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.”
Atiku explained that he had earlier released a statement titled “A Nation at War Needs a Commander-in-Chief, Not a Campaigner-in-Chief,” in which he congratulated the Armed Forces and other security agencies for successfully rescuing the schoolchildren and their teachers.
According to him, the operation deserved national recognition because it demonstrated the courage and professionalism of the country’s security personnel.
“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 stated.
The former vice president, however, cautioned against celebrating the rescue while many other Nigerians remain in the custody of terrorists and kidnappers across different parts of the country.
He argued that the successful operation in Oyo should serve as motivation for security agencies to intensify efforts toward rescuing other victims still held captive.
“One successful rescue must not become an excuse for self-congratulation. A nation cannot celebrate while other parents still go to bed not knowing whether their children are alive or dead. Our work is not done until every abducted Nigerian is safely reunited with his or her family,” he said.
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Atiku maintained that the excerpts from his earlier statement clearly disproved the Presidency’s claim that he failed to react to the rescue.
He stressed that while he openly commended the security agencies, he deliberately refrained from praising President Tinubu, insisting that the President should have personally led the nation in celebrating the operation while reassuring families whose loved ones remain in captivity.
According to him, the administration cannot erase documented facts through political messaging.
He further argued that Nigerians remain concerned about the fate of several victims still in the hands of kidnappers, particularly abducted schoolchildren and residents in Borno and other violence-hit states.
“A government secure in its performance does not invent silence where there was a documented public statement,” Atiku said.
He added that Nigerians deserve a government focused on securing the freedom of every abducted citizen rather than engaging in political attacks against the opposition.