Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has faulted the Presidency’s decision to reference China while defending President Bola Tinubu, saying the comparison has instead opened the government to increased public scrutiny.
Atiku, through a statement released on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, described the move as a “monumental own goal”, arguing that China’s strict approach to corruption and drug-related offences weakened the Presidency’s argument rather than supporting it.
The former vice president accused the government of misrepresenting the response of the United States authorities to diplomatic correspondence by presenting it as though it amounted to a legal clearance of President Tinubu.
He maintained that diplomatic communication between countries could not be interpreted as a court ruling or proof of innocence.
Atiku argued that by using China as a reference point, the Presidency had unintentionally invited Nigerians to examine the country’s strict laws, particularly its harsh penalties for serious drug trafficking offences.
“It takes a peculiar kind of unintelligence for a spokesman to set out to drag an opponent before a hypothetical Chinese court, only to end up dragging his own principal into the dock,” he said.
He further stated that President Tinubu’s critics were now justified in questioning whether the standards associated with China’s justice system would also apply to issues surrounding the forfeiture of $460,000 to the United States Government in a civil proceeding connected to allegations of narcotics trafficking and money laundering.
The ADC chieftain insisted that he had never been convicted or indicted for corruption, drug-related offences or any criminal matter in Nigeria or abroad.
“Atiku Abubakar has never been indicted or convicted by any court in Nigeria or anywhere else in the world for corruption, narcotics offences or any criminal offence whatsoever,” he stated.
Atiku also extended his criticism to governance issues, claiming that China’s accountability system would not accommodate alleged cases of budget manipulation, abuse of office or the establishment of a fictitious government agency by public officials.
He accused the Tinubu administration of failing to adequately address economic hardship, hunger, insecurity and institutional challenges despite its promises under the Renewed Hope agenda.
According to him, anyone who invokes China as a benchmark for accountability must be prepared to accept the country’s standards fully and not selectively.
“The lesson here is simple. Those who invoke China must be prepared to accept the Chinese standard—not selectively, not rhetorically, but completely,” Atiku said.
He urged the Presidency to improve its communication strategy, arguing that while propaganda might dominate discussions temporarily, facts would eventually prevail.
The exchange adds to the ongoing political dispute between Atiku and the Tinubu administration over allegations concerning the President’s past and recent attempts by government officials to dismiss renewed public discussions on the matter.