Atiku vs Presidency: The silence accusation that backfired badly

Atiku Abubakar has fired back at the Presidency over claims that he kept quiet after the Oyo schoolchildren and teachers were rescued. His spokesman Phrank Shaibu released a statement today July 11 2026 calling the accusation false and accusing the Presidency of being either lazy or deliberately dishonest.

According to the statement Atiku had already issued a message titled "A Nation at War Needs a Commander-in-Chief, Not a Campaigner-in-Chief" where he welcomed the rescue and commended the Armed Forces. The problem is the Presidency either didn't bother to read it or chose to ignore it because it exposed their own failures. Shaibu said it plainly: "Either they failed to read our statement because they were too lazy to do so, or they deliberately ignored it because it exposed uncomfortable truths about their misplaced priorities."

This is the real issue. Instead of focusing on rescuing every Nigerian still in captivity the Presidency is busy monitoring opposition figures and spreading falsehoods. A government that is secure in its performance does not need to invent silence where there is documented proof. Atiku praised the security agencies but refused to applaud a Commander-in-Chief who was busy campaigning while our children were being rescued. Is that not the truth we all saw with our own eyes?