Tinubu tackles Atiku, says he failed Nigerians as vice president

Mr Tinubu said those positioning themselves as the main opposition have previously failed Nigerians, particularly one who once headed Nigeria’s privatisation council.

President Bola Tinubu has said he will not surrender governance to opposition parties in 2027, regardless of their campaign strategies ahead of the election.

Mr Tinubu stressed that no matter how much opposition figures criticise him, he will remain unfazed, noting that those positioning themselves as the main opposition have previously failed Nigerians, particularly one who once headed Nigeria’s privatisation council.

He stated this while speaking in Abuja at a meeting of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, led by Governor Hope Uzodimma in Abuja on Thursday.

Although the president did not mention names, his remarks appeared directed at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who led a coalition of opposition leaders to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The party has been vocal in criticising the policies of the Tinubu administration.

Apart from being a ĺeading figure of the ADC, Atiku, who served as vice president under Olusegun Obasanjo between 1999 and 2007, is a potential contender in the 2027 presidential election.

During that period, he chaired the country’s privatisation council, overseeing the sale of several government-owned assets and enterprises.

The privatisation policy

The privatisation programme implemented at the time was carried out through the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and aimed at reducing government control of key sectors, attracting private investment, and improving efficiency.

Under the exercise, several state-owned enterprises were either fully privatised or commercialised across sectors such as telecommunications, steel, banking, energy, and manufacturing.

Some of the notable assets and enterprises affected include the state-owned Nigerian Telecommunications Limited and its mobile arm M-Tel, as well as the Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria. Also, government stakes in several banks were divested as part of broader financial sector reforms and some federal government holdings in hotels, cement companies, and other enterprises were also sold to private investors.

Tinubu criticises Atiku’s privatisation record

Mr Tinubu criticised Atiku’s role in the privatisation programme, claiming that many of the assets sold at the time are no longer functional.

He referenced the steel industry in Delta State and the Ajaokuta Steel Company in Kogi State as examples of assets that, according to him, have failed to perform after privatisation.

“One of them, no one without history and I’m not being calabash. No one without history. The head was the chairman of the Privatisation Council of Nigeria.

“In this country one time, he privatised the Steel industry in Delta. Is it working today? He privatised Ajaokuta, is it working today? Go on the list. They privatised another man’s political party, that one say No,” he said.

“I won’t give up”

Mr Tinubu also assured supporters that he would not relinquish power to the opposition in 2027, urging members of the Renewed Hope Agenda to intensify grassroots mobilisation across the country.

“One thing that you need from me is a promise that I won’t run away from the affairs. With you, the deal is done. No other thing, whatever we need to do, coordinate from the ward level and build on our understanding. You’re in a good company and all I can say is that I won’t give up.

“During the primaries that brought me here, it was tough. During the general election, it was tough,” he said.