Atiku slams presidency for alleged failure to comment on Oyo rescue, says they should 'get their facts straight

The African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has called on the presidency to verify facts before making accusations, describing its claim that he remained silent after the rescue of abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State as a distortion of facts that lacks credibility.

n

This assertion was made in a statement issued by his senior special assistant on public communication, Phrank Shaibu, on Saturday, in which Atiku presented two possible explanations for the presidency's outburst, suggesting either laziness or a deliberate attempt to ignore the truth.

n

Atiku's reaction was in response to criticism from the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who had accused him of not publicly reacting to the release of the Oriire pupils and their teachers nearly 18 hours after they regained their freedom.

n

Onanuga had stated that Atiku's silence was notable, saying "Almost 18 hours after the Oriire pupils and their teachers regained their freedom, Atiku Abubakar has not deemed it fit to rejoice with the Tinubu federal government, the security agencies and the traumatised victims."

n

However, Atiku countered this narrative, stating that he had issued a comprehensive press statement earlier in the day, titled 'A Nation at War Needs a Commander-in-Chief, Not a Campaigner-in-Chief', in which he welcomed the rescue of the children and commended the gallantry of the Armed Forces and other security agencies.

n

In the statement, Atiku had said "The rescue of innocent schoolchildren from the hands of terrorists is a victory for our gallant troops and a source of hope for every Nigerian family, they deserve the gratitude of the nation."

n

Atiku also emphasized that the successful rescue of the Oyo schoolchildren should not distract the nation from the reality that many other Nigerians remain in captivity, stressing that "One successful rescue must not become an excuse for self-congratulation."

n

He urged the federal government to sustain relentless pressure on terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers until every abducted Nigerian is rescued and every community under siege regains peace and security, saying "Our work is not done until every abducted Nigerian is safely reunited with his or her family."

n

Atiku claimed that the reproduced excerpts from his earlier statement expose the presidency's allegation as entirely false, adding that his team did not only congratulate the security agencies but also praised their courage, professionalism, and sacrifice.

n

He noted that what he declined to do was to applaud a commander-in-chief who remained publicly preoccupied with partisan political activities instead of personally leading the nation in celebrating the success of the troops and reassuring families whose loved ones remain in captivity.

n

Atiku concluded that no amount of propaganda can erase the fundamental questions raised in his earlier statement, asking "when will the children abducted in Borno and other innocent citizens across the country also regain their freedom?"

n

He emphasized that a government secure in its performance does not invent silence where there was a documented public statement, but rather responds to legitimate concerns with facts and results, not propaganda, saying "Nigerians deserve a presidency focused on rescuing every citizen still in captivity rather than one preoccupied with monitoring and misrepresenting the opposition."