The All Progressives Congress (APC) has intensified its attacks on former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential election, urging Nigerians not to entrust him with the nation’s leadership.
In a statement on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the ruling party alleged that Atiku’s public record raises serious questions about his suitability to manage Nigeria’s resources.
The APC claimed that several past local and international investigations, including issues surrounding the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project, the Siemens bribery case, the William Jefferson investigation, the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) controversy and reports by a United States Senate committee, should discourage Nigerians from supporting the former vice president’s presidential ambition.
According to the party, these issues have continued to generate public debate over Atiku’s integrity and accountability.
The statement reads in part: “The media and public discourse have been awash with damning reports of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s alleged dealings in local and international bribery and corruption schemes.
“Nigeria’s upcoming presidential election presents the electorate the opportunity to deal a final blow to Atiku’s desperate quest for presidential power and save the country from his ravenous plunder.”
On the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project, the party referred to reports of proceedings before an International Chamber of Commerce Arbitration Tribunal in Paris involving a payment allegedly made to Jennifer Douglas, Atiku’s former wife, around the period the project contract was awarded.
The ruling party also revisited the Siemens bribery scandal, alleging that funds linked to the global bribery investigation passed through accounts associated with Atiku’s former wife.
It further referenced the William Jefferson case in the United States and a 2010 report by the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, saying both raised concerns over financial transactions allegedly linked to Atiku and his former wife.
The APC also criticised Atiku’s recent promise to restore fuel subsidy if elected president, arguing that the policy would undermine Nigeria’s economic gains.
According to the party, President Bola Tinubu’s administration has strengthened the country’s finances through economic reforms, and it accused Atiku of seeking to reverse those gains.
The statement also cited former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s comments about his former deputy.
Quoting Obasanjo, the APC said: “The man I picked as my running mate, my number two, if I had known him as I came to know him later, I would not have picked him.”
The party argued that the remark reflected concerns about Atiku’s fitness for the nation’s highest office.
The APC concluded by insisting that Atiku was not qualified to become Nigeria’s president and urged voters to reject his 2027 ambition.
Atiku, who served as Nigeria’s Vice-President between 1999 and 2007, has contested the presidency multiple times and is widely expected to remain a key opposition figure ahead of the 2027 general election.
Over the years, allegations relating to some of the issues raised by the APC have featured in political debates. However, Atiku has consistently denied wrongdoing and has maintained that the allegations against him are politically motivated.
Many of the claims have also remained subjects of public and legal debate over the years. As political activities ahead of 2027 gather momentum, exchanges between the APC and opposition figures are expected to intensify.
