Atiku Abubakar clashes with Obasanjo and Tinubu administration

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former President Olusegun Obasanjo have engaged in renewed political disputes regarding their historical relationship and Nigeria’s current security landscape.

Atiku has accused Obasanjo of a two-decade campaign of “lies, political manipulation and orchestrated deceit.” This follows Obasanjo’s recent claim that Atiku mobilized the late Speaker Ghali Na’Abba to impeach him during the 1999–2007 administration. Atiku’s camp dismissed these allegations as baseless, citing accounts from former lawmakers and governors to suggest Atiku actually acted as an emissary for Obasanjo to maintain political stability.

Separately, Atiku and the Presidency have clashed over national security. Atiku criticized the administration of President Bola Tinubu following reports of 5,091 deaths linked to violent incidents over three months. The Presidency rejected this assessment, stating that security agencies have killed between 13,000 and 20,000 terrorists and rescued at least 10,000 Nigerians during the same period. The Nigeria Police Force also disputed Atiku’s claims, citing intelligence that suggests a reduction in violent crime.