- Safiu Kehinde
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has fired back at President Bola Tinubu over his criticism of the privatisation policy introduced under the regime of Olusegun Obasanjo.
NPO Reported that Tinubu had in his inaugural meeting with the Renewed Hope Ambassadors on Friday trolled Atiku’s privatisation policy.
Tinubu cited Ajaokuta and Delta Steel Companies as examples of infrastructures rendered dormant under the policy.
“If you look at it, none of them is without history. The head (Atiku) was the Chairman of the privatisation council of Nigeria.
“They privatised the steel industry in Delta. Is it working today?
“They privatised Ajaokuta. Is it working today? They privatised another man’s political party, that one says no.” Tinubu said.
Reacting in a statement issued on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku labelled the President’s comment as a “reckless tirade” that reflects “a troubling pattern of hypocrisy and historical amnesia.”
Shaibu held that Atiku was taken aback by Tinubu’s remark, considering the longstanding scrutiny over the President’s his personal and academic history.
He further described the remark as a reckless tirade which showed Tinubu’s desperation.
“Atiku Abubakar’s attention has been drawn to the latest reckless tirade by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu—a performance that exposes not just desperation, but a troubling pattern of hypocrisy and historical amnesia,” Shaibu said.
While acknowledging Tinubu’s past criticism of the privatisation policy, the Atiku’s aide alleged that the President is currently threading same path of privatisation with his economic reform and what he described as “commercialisation in opacity,” which lacks transparency, clear valuation, and accountability.
“This is not reform; it is privatisation without accountability,” the statement asserted.
In Atiku’s defence, Shaibu cited several companies as outcomes of the privatisation programme the ex-Vice President helped supervise.
These include Oando Plc (formerly Unipetrol), Conoil Plc, Ardova Plc (formerly African Petroleum), Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals, Benue Cement Company, and Transcorp Hilton Abuja.
Shaibu maintained that the enterprises stand as enduring examples of policies that revitalised moribund state-owned assets and promoted private sector-led growth.
He also referenced the book The Accidental Public Servant by former Kaduna governor, Nasir El-Rufai, which it said documented the privatisation programme as a structured and deliberate reform effort.
The Atiku’s aide further criticised Tinubu’s remarks as reflective of a failure to engage with documented history, adding controversial comments about the President’s educational background.
“It is not our fault that the President does not and cannot read,” he said, while also referencing past controversies surrounding Tinubu’s academic credentials, including his association with Chicago State University.
Shaibu argued that a proper understanding of Nigeria’s reform history would have prevented what it described as “ignorant remarks.”
“You cannot oppose reform when it demands courage and then executes a shadow version of it in power,” he added.
The spokesperson highlighted rising inflation, declining purchasing power, and worsening living conditions, claiming that government policies marketed as reforms have translated into hardship for ordinary citizens.
“Families are skipping meals, businesses are shutting down, and hardworking Nigerians are watching their incomes evaporate,” he said, adding that insecurity and economic strain continue to erode public confidence.
Shaibu concluded by asserting that Atiku’s record remains “clear, documented, and defensible,” while urging the President to exercise restraint in public commentary.
“A leader who has not fully resolved questions about his own background should exercise restraint before casting aspersions on others,” he said.