Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has announced plans for a broad political alliance that would bring together the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Labour Party (LP) to challenge what he described as the “incompetent and inefficient” administration of President Bola Tinubu.
Atiku made the disclosure while speaking in Abuja to a delegation of stakeholders from Kogi East Senatorial Zone, led by former Kogi State Deputy Governor Simon Achuba.
The discussion also centered on tackling insecurity in the region and promoting unity across the northern part of the country.
Expressing grave concern over Nigeria’s deepening security challenges, Atiku criticized the Tinubu government for lacking the political resolve to address the crisis. He recalled his time as Vice President during the emergence of Boko Haram, noting that strong and decisive leadership under his administration had, at the time, helped suppress the insurgency.
“How can leaders remain unmoved while their people are being slaughtered?” Atiku asked. “Such indifference is the peak of irresponsibility for any political leader, anywhere in the world,” he added.
“I hold our current leadership accountable for the widespread insecurity plaguing our nation. There is a lack of political will.
“Let me remind you of when Boko Haram first emerged in 2002, during our time in office. The president summoned me and asked, ‘Mr Vice President, what should we do about this?’ It began in Yobe. I advised him to call the service chiefs and set a clear deadline: if they couldn’t quell the insurgency, they should resign.
“The president summoned the service chiefs, I was present, and issued firm orders. Within weeks, the insurgents in Yobe were subdued, and the threat did not resurface until after we left office.”
Atiku Abubakar also took aim at the government’s inadequate policing strategy, proposing the recruitment of unemployed graduates into the police force to address the country’s growing security manpower gap.
“We are under-policed. There simply aren’t enough officers across the country, while many educated young people remain without jobs. Why not recruit them into the police force?” he asked.
He stressed the importance of a united political front to challenge the current administration, declaring, “We are building a coalition involving all major political parties—the APC, PDP, and Labour Party. This is the only viable path forward to confront an incompetent and inefficient government. You have my full understanding and support.”
Simon Achuba, who led the delegation, echoed Atiku’s concerns, decrying the surge in violence, kidnappings, and the destruction of communities across the North. He accused the federal government of neglecting its constitutional duty to safeguard the lives and property of citizens.
“The government has done very little to ease this crisis, despite it being their responsibility,” Achuba stated. “When the government fails to act decisively, it falls on northern leaders to step up. We must begin the process of internal healing and strengthen the bonds of brotherhood among ourselves.”
