The political rivalry between former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and President Bola Tinubu intensified on Friday following a heated exchange over Nigeria’s privatisation programme.
Atiku, in a strongly worded statement issued through his media aide, Phrank Shaibu, rejected Tinubu’s criticism of his role in the National Council on Privatisation during the Obasanjo administration, describing the President’s remarks as “reckless” and historically inaccurate.
The dispute stems from comments made by President Tinubu on Thursday at a meeting of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors in Abuja, where he questioned the effectiveness of past privatisation efforts, particularly in the steel sector.
Tinubu cited assets such as Ajaokuta Steel Company, asking why they had not become productive despite being privatised under earlier reforms.
“They privatised the steel industry in Delta; is it working today? They privatised Ajaokuta; is it working today?” the President said, arguing that the reforms failed to deliver lasting results.
In his response, Atiku accused the President of misrepresenting the facts and ignoring established records on the objectives and execution of the privatisation programme.
He said the reforms were designed to improve efficiency, attract private investment and reduce government involvement in non-performing state assets, insisting that their impact has been documented in official accounts.
Atiku’s statement also criticised what it described as a pattern of misinformation in the President’s public comments, arguing that proper review of historical records would provide a clearer understanding of the reform process.
The statement added that credible literature on the privatisation exercise exists and has been widely referenced in public policy discussions.
“You cannot oppose reform when it demands courage and then attempt a distorted version of it while in office,” Atiku’s camp said.
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