Atiku slams Oshiomhole as he defends his ADC move, accusing the APC of destroying internal democracy and mismanaging Nigeria
ABUJA, 26 November 2024 — Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Tuesday launched a scathing rebuttal against Senator Adams Oshiomhole, accusing the former All Progressives Congress national chairman of defending a party that destroyed internal democracy and operated like a private estate.
Also read: Atiku Abubakar joins ADC, declares “real opposition has begun”
Atiku issued the response through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, a day after formally registering as a member of the African Democratic Congress at his Jada 1 Ward in Adamawa State.
His entry into the party followed his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party over what he described as irreconcilable differences.
The registration event drew senior political figures, including former Adamawa State Governor Bindow Jibrilla and Senator Aishatu Binani, underscoring the high political stakes surrounding Atiku’s move.
Oshiomhole, speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, had mocked the former vice president’s defection, describing him as a perennial candidate who abandoned parties whenever he failed to secure presidential tickets. He argued that Atiku lacked the capacity to reform political institutions.
Atiku’s camp dismissed the criticism as hollow. Shaibu said Oshiomhole had no moral right to question the leadership credentials of a man who once chaired the National Economic Council and oversaw economic reforms that strengthened private-sector growth.
Shaibu said the senator’s comments were an attempt to deflect attention from what he called the catastrophic failures of the APC, adding that the party under Oshiomhole’s influence criminalised internal dissent and weakened state institutions.
According to the statement, Atiku noted that he was vice president, not the national chairman of the PDP, and therefore never operated a party structure as a personal empire.
He accused the APC of being tele-guided by a single power centre, leaving no room for democratic accountability.
Atiku asserted that the APC’s record in government, including eight years under Muhammadu Buhari and nearly three years under President Bola Tinubu, had inflicted profound economic and social hardship on Nigerians. He argued that the party had lost the moral authority to lecture anyone on leadership.
He described Oshiomhole’s attacks as political noise designed to mask a bruising legacy, adding that Nigerians understood the difference between capacity and propaganda.
Meanwhile, in Borno State, tensions continued to rise within the ADC after the Critical Youth Stakeholders Forum warned of alleged attempts by what it called Abuja-based political merchants to hijack the party structure.
Chairman Sheriff Banki urged the ADC leadership to intervene, accusing the unnamed actors of seeking short-term political relevance ahead of the 2027 general election.
Banki claimed that the party had become a target for politicians who jumped between platforms for personal gain, insisting that the Borno chapter would not be sold to those he described as political parasites.
Also read: ADC vows positive rise ahead of 202Skip to Editor Permalink: 7 elections
He assured that while the ADC remained open to new members, its foundational values and internal structures would be protected to ensure equity and fairness.
