President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has renewed his criticism of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over Nigeria’s privatisation programme, accusing one of his prospective political rivals of failing to settle pension obligations after overseeing the sale of public assets.
Speaking on Thursday while receiving a delegation of North-East stakeholders on a thank-you visit following the re-nomination of Vice-President Kashim Shettima, Mr Tinubu said his administration was now addressing the consequences of past economic decisions.
“Someone among my prospective opponents privatised government investments in public entities but forgot to pay the pension. I’m clearing the pensioners now, so clearing the mess they created,” the president said.
Although Mr Tinubu did not mention Atiku by name, his remarks were widely seen as a direct reference to the former vice-president, who played a prominent role in Nigeria’s privatisation drive during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The latest comments mark another escalation in the war of words between the two political rivals as attention gradually shifts towards the 2027 general election.
The president made the remarks while thanking the North-East delegation for their support and reaffirming his administration’s commitment to economic reforms, insisting that difficult decisions were necessary to stabilise the economy and improve the welfare of Nigerians.
Atiku, who has consistently defended the privatisation policy as a strategy to improve efficiency and attract private investment, has yet to respond publicly to Mr Tinubu’s latest remarks.
