By Omotayo Edubi
President Bola Tinubu has challenged former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to explain how he established a university while serving in government, as the political rivalry between the two leaders takes a fresh turn amid criticism over hunger and economic hardship in Nigeria.
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Key Highlights
- Tinubu asked how Atiku built a university while serving as vice president in charge of the economy.
- “Those people talking of hunger, I’m cleaning the mess they created. Atiku was one of them,” the president said.
- He spoke at the Rainbow Coalition presidential rally in Port Harcourt on November 7.
- Tinubu thanked Rivers voters for backing him in 2023 and said he seeks a second term because Nigerians believe in him.
- Atiku has previously defended the university as an investment in education, not a profit venture.
Tinubu raised the issue on Saturday, November 7, during the Rainbow Coalition presidential campaign rally at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The president accused Atiku and other critics of contributing to the economic problems his administration inherited, insisting that he was working to address the challenges created by previous governments.
“I’m cleaning the mess they created”
Responding to concerns over rising hunger and the cost of living, Tinubu said he is dealing with problems left behind by those who previously occupied positions of authority.
“Those people talking of hunger, I’m cleaning the mess they created. Atiku was one of them,” the president said.
He subsequently questioned how Atiku, who served as vice president under former President Olusegun Obasanjo and was involved in economic affairs during the administration, was able to establish a university while in office.
“Ask him how he built a university while in office as vice president in charge of our economy. Who built the university for him? It’s your money. It’s your effort,” Tinubu stated.
Atiku is the founder of the American University of Nigeria (AUN) in Yola, Adamawa State, and has previously defended the institution as an investment in education and the development of the North rather than a profit-making venture.
The president also questioned Atiku’s moral authority to criticise his administration, making remarks about the former vice president’s integrity and suitability for public office.
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Tinubu’s comments come amid growing political exchanges over the state of the Nigerian economy, with opposition figures repeatedly faulting his administration over inflation, food prices and the declining purchasing power of households.
Tinubu defends second-term bid
The president, however, maintained that his government is working to improve the country’s situation and defended his decision to seek re-election in 2027.
He also recalled the support he received from Rivers State residents during the 2023 presidential election, thanking them for backing his ambition despite what he described as a difficult period in his political journey.
“Thank you for the last election. In 2022, 2023, I looked very hopeless, but you trooped out to support me and gave me the mandate,” he said.
Tinubu further told the crowd that he was seeking a second term because of the confidence Nigerians had placed in him.
“I’m seeking a second term because you believe in me and that I care for you,” he added.
The latest exchange adds another dimension to the political contest ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with economic hardship, hunger and the performance of the Tinubu administration likely to remain major issues in the campaigns.
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