ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has dismissed claims by the Presidency that he failed to react to the rescue of abducted pupils and teachers in Oyo State, insisting that he publicly commended the security agencies long before the allegations were made.
The former Vice President accused the Presidency of either failing to verify the facts or deliberately ignoring his earlier statement, describing the allegation as a distortion of documented evidence.
Atiku’s response followed remarks by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who criticised him for allegedly remaining silent nearly 18 hours after the abducted Oriire pupils and their teachers regained their freedom.
Responding through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, on Saturday, Atiku said the Presidency should have verified the facts before launching what he described as an unnecessary attack.
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“It is astonishing that a Presidency with limitless public resources could accuse someone of silence without carrying out the most basic verification. 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,” the statement said.
According to Atiku, he had earlier issued a statement titled, “A Nation at War Needs a Commander-in-Chief, Not a Campaigner-in-Chief,” in which he welcomed the successful rescue operation, praised the Armed Forces and other security agencies, and urged the Federal Government to sustain efforts until every abducted Nigerian regains freedom.
He maintained that the rescue of the schoolchildren was a victory deserving national celebration, while stressing that many other Nigerians, including kidnapped children in Borno and victims in other parts of the country, remain in captivity.
“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 said in the earlier statement reproduced by his media office.
He, however, cautioned against celebrating a single rescue operation while thousands of other victims remain in the hands of kidnappers and terrorists.
“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 added.
The ADC presidential candidate insisted that his remarks clearly disproved the Presidency’s allegation that he kept silent over the development.
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According to him, his refusal to praise President Bola Tinubu personally should not be misconstrued as withholding commendation from the security agencies that carried out the operation.
Atiku further argued that the Presidency should focus on addressing lingering security challenges instead of engaging in political exchanges with the opposition.
He maintained that Nigerians are still waiting for answers on the fate of citizens who remain in captivity across different parts of the country, urging the government to prioritise their rescue over what he described as propaganda-driven politics.