Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has declared that he did not lose the 2023 presidential election but rather that President Bola Tinubu “criminally stole” his mandate.
NN News Media noted that the likened Tinubu’s declaration of victory to that of a thief operating under the cover of darkness, recalling that the INEC announced Tinubu as the winner at 4:00 AM while most Nigerians were asleep.
Atiku contends that the Nigerian electorate who supported him are fully aware that Tinubu’s victory was unearned.
This statement starkly opposes the declaration made by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which is constitutionally charged with conducting and announcing election results. It also contradicts the Supreme Court’s controversial ruling that upheld Tinubu’s presidency.
Despite the INEC’s official results, which credited Tinubu with 8,794,726 votes against Atiku’s 6,984,520, many observers have labeled the election as one of the worst in Nigeria’s history. Peter Obi from the Labour Party finished third with 6,101,533 votes.
In a recent statement, Atiku outlined the measures he would have implemented had he won the presidency, aimed at steering Nigeria away from the detrimental policies of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, which lasted from 2015 to 2023.
In response, Tinubu’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed Atiku’s claims as “shallow” and asserted that Nigerians rejected his policies in the 2023 election. He expressed concern that had Atiku won, his leadership could have led to increased cronyism and economic decline.
Atiku seized the opportunity to mock President Tinubu, referring to him as “T-Pain,” a nickname reflecting widespread dissatisfaction with his administration, which many argue has fared worse than Buhari’s.
He emphasized the disparity between Tinubu’s economic policies and his own proposals, noting the vigorous public debate surrounding the issues. Atiku attributed Nigeria’s current economic troubles to Tinubu’s rapid and unplanned rise to power, contrasting it with his own team’s comprehensive Recovery Plan, which was developed with significant public input.
Highlighting the ineffectiveness of Tinubu’s administration, Atiku criticized the government’s reliance on prayer as a policy response and insisted that diligent work is essential alongside faith. He described claims that his proposals are untested as unfair, asserting that it is Tinubu’s administration that has resorted to erratic policies, resulting in Nigeria’s current difficulties.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s economic history during his tenure from 1999 to 2003, Atiku cited the country’s impressive GDP growth rates, contrasting them with the meager performance under Tinubu’s leadership. He called for a reconsideration of economic strategies, advocating for lower taxation as a pathway to growth, rather than imposing additional burdens on the populace.
In closing, Atiku reiterated his belief that the citizens who voted in the 2023 election know the truth: he did not lose; rather, their mandate was unjustly taken from them.
