Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar led a delegation to meet the United States Ambassador, Richard Mills Jr., in Abuja yesterday.
In a social media post, Atiku said their discussion centered on strengthening democracy, security, and shared prosperity between Nigeria and the U.S.
Speaking further, Atiku who is contesting for the presidency in 2027 under the ADC called tribalism “a malignant disease” that undermines progress.
He placed blame on the elite for exploiting ethnic divisions, encouraging people to reject candidates based on their tribe rather than competence.
“Your exclusive point of focus must necessarily bother on the competence of the person based on his antecedents, among his numerous qualities, rather than what ethnic group he hails from. Vote according to your conscience and never allow anyone to subject you to the perverted delusion that you must not vote for a particular candidate just because he is Hausa, Igbo or Yoruba.”
In response, the APC criticized Atiku’s remarks as irresponsible and said his comments were a disguised attempt to provoke unrest.
APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka accused Atiku of using hunger and insecurity as political ammunition, arguing that he and his party had failed to tackle those issues during their time in power.
APC also warned that Atiku, who often resides abroad, would not bear the consequences if his calls for “revolution” led to chaos, urging Nigerians to support President Tinubu’s administration for stability and continued reforms.
