Atiku Abubakar is taking Nigeria’s troubles abroad — and he’s not mincing words.
The former Vice President says his upcoming US meetings will focus on one thing: “the alarming deterioration of security, governance, and economic stability” at home.
“Nigeria is facing a full-blown internal crisis,” Atiku declared Sunday in a statement by his media adviser Paul Ibe.
He called the crisis “one that can no longer be downplayed, politicized, or explained away.”
Atiku warned the state is “steadily losing its grip” on its core duty: protecting life and property.
He cited “ravaging violence in the North-West and North-East,” “persistent bloodshed in the Middle Belt,” and spreading kidnappings nationwide.
“This has moved beyond isolated incidents to a pattern of systemic failure,” he said.
He stated: “Communities are being overrun, livelihoods destroyed, and citizens abandoned to their fate. Any government that cannot guarantee basic security forfeits the moral basis of its mandate.”
The economic pain is “severe and avoidable,” Atiku argued — pointing to rising inflation, a weakened naira, and collapsing purchasing power. “Policy inconsistency and lack of strategic direction continue to erode confidence,” he said.
He added: “Nigerians are not just tired, they are being stretched to the limits of endurance.”
He also flagged “declining public confidence in governance, accountability, and the electoral process” as a direct threat to stability.
As another election cycle nears, Atiku warned: “Any attempt to undermine transparency or manipulate outcomes will carry serious consequences for both unity and legitimacy.”
Anticipating backlash for his US outreach, Atiku pushed back hard: “Telling the truth about Nigeria is not unpatriotic.”
He rejected claims that engaging global partners invites foreign interference.
“Nigeria does not exist in isolation and cannot pretend that its internal failures have no external implications,” he said.
“The world already sees what is happening. The real question is whether Nigerian leaders are prepared to confront it honestly.”
He stressed that only Nigerians would pick their leaders, but said partners have a “legitimate interest” in Nigeria’s stability.
Read him: “Responsible leadership does not hide from scrutiny. It welcomes it as a pathway to improvement.”
His message to the government: “Power is not an entitlement but a responsibility.”
He demanded an urgent reset — “restore public confidence, and demonstrate a clear, credible strategy for addressing insecurity and economic decline.”
To citizens: “No nation survives in silence.”
He urged Nigerians to stay “vigilant, engaged, and unyielding in their demand for accountability,” adding that “real change will not come from outside the country but from the collective will of its people.”
“Nigeria stands at a critical juncture,” Atiku said, stressing that “The choice is between confronting hard truths now or allowing the country to drift further into instability. The moment demands courage, honesty, and decisive leadership.”
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