2027: Atiku lacks expertise to fix Nigeria’s economy — APC National Secretary
By Adegboyega Adeleye
National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ajibola Bashiru, has raised doubts about former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s ability to address Nigeria’s economic challenges. On a Wednesday appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Bashiru asserted that President Bola Tinubu is actively tackling the country’s economic issues and suggested that voters would ultimately reject Atiku in the upcoming 2027 presidential election.
Bashiru’s comments were in response to inquiries regarding Atiku’s political aspirations and his potential threat to the ruling APC party. He questioned Atiku’s qualifications, stating, “Atiku is not a professional, please, with respect to him. Atiku trained as a hygiene expert at the School of Hygiene in Kano. He is a tax collector in Customs. Where is the expertise? What has he done? Check his profile.”
The APC national secretary argued that serving as vice-president does not inherently equate to expertise in economic matters. “The fact that you became a Vice President doesn’t make you an expert,” Bashiru said. He also suggested that Atiku was among those responsible for the economic challenges currently facing Nigeria, adding, “If there are challenges that is being addressed by President Tinubu, one of the main people that caused it is Atiku Abubakar.”
When asked if Atiku posed a significant threat to the APC, Bashiru characterized the former vice-president’s intentions as his last political bid, predicting that Nigerians would not support him. “Atiku is the Oginga Odinga of our country,” he stated, referencing the late Kenyan politician. “He is doing his last contest which he knows Nigerians would reject him for.”
Bashiru further criticized the opposition for making unrealistic promises regarding petrol prices. He was particularly dismissive of claims suggesting extreme reductions, saying, “Some of these people can just come to make statements. I learnt one of them said I’m going to make petrol 200 naira, 300 naira. It is not possible; he is just lying. You must not lie to people because you want to get their votes. You must even say something that is realistic.”
