The media office of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has fired back at the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing it of hypocrisy and deflection over comments mocking Atiku's choice of membership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a statement issued on Thursday by Phrank Shaibu, Atiku's Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, the camp of the former Vice President described the Lagos APC's remarks as "hollow, ill-considered" and "typical of the party's hypocrisy and intellectual laziness."
Shaibu said, "For the avoidance of doubt, Atiku Abubakar's political journey is public, transparent, and fully documented. His age is known, his parents are known, his educational records are intact, and his public life can be traced from childhood to national prominence without the need for forensic experts, private investigators, or sworn affidavits to reconcile conflicting identities."
The Atiku Media Office accused the ruling party in Lagos State of double standards, claiming that the APC shielded its national leader, President Bola Tinubu, from scrutiny over his personal records.
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According to Shaibu, "This already places him miles ahead of their paymaster who by all reasonable public evidence , is well past 90, yet insists on clinging to power and is already scheming for a second term. If Atiku, a far healthier, mentally sharper, and globally respected statesman, is 'too old' to aspire at 79, then what do we call a visibly frail leader whose true age remains one of the country's best-kept mysteries?"
The statement further argued that Atiku's latest political moves were driven by "conviction, nation-building, and a shared democratic vision -- not desperation."
"Only those accustomed to treating political parties as private estates will find such collaboration confusing," Shaibu added.
Taking another swipe at the APC, the Atiku camp said the ruling party's fear stemmed from the continued political relevance of the former Vice President.
"Atiku Abubakar remains the single most formidable, experienced, and prepared leader in the country today. His moral stamina, political clarity, and national acceptance continue to expose the emptiness of the APC's propaganda and the illegitimacy of the regime they serve," the statement said.
In a direct jab at the President, Shaibu continued, "If the APC is looking for a man defined by 'restlessness, panic, and desperation,' they need not look far. He is in the Villa -- struggling to govern, struggling to appear coherent, and struggling to convince Nigerians that he is the age he claims to be."
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The statement urged the Lagos State APC to focus on the country's worsening socio-economic conditions rather than attacking Atiku.
"Rather than issuing unintelligent statements, the Lagos APC should direct its energy toward explaining the collapsing economy, the insecurity consuming the country, the hardship imposed on citizens, and the human suffering that has become the lasting legacy of their party," Shaibu stated.
He concluded that while Atiku's political relevance remained "unshaken," it was the "competence and credibility" of the ruling party's leadership that should be in question.
