The National Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Basiru, has launched a scathing critique against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, openly questioning his economic credentials and holding him responsible for contributing to Nigeria’s current economic hardship.
Speaking during a featured appearance on Channels Television’s political program, Politics Today, which aired on Wednesday evening, October 21, 2026, from Abuja, Senator Basiru argued that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is actively dismantling and resolving structural economic flaws ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Rebutting opposition arguments regarding the current administration’s fiscal management, Basiru maintained that holding high political office does not automatically grant a politician technical economic expertise.
Dismissing Atiku’s professional background, the APC scribe noted that the former vice president was trained as a sanitary inspector at the School of Hygiene in Kano before joining the Nigerian Customs Service as a tax collector. He asserted that such a background lacks genuine economic substance, adding that holding the position of Vice President does not transform anyone into an economic authority.
Extending his critique, Basiru accused the former vice president and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election of being among the core political actors who created the long-term economic instability that President Tinubu’s government is now forced to correct.
The APC scribe also addressed campaign commitments made by opposition figures regarding fuel pricing, dismissing promises to crash Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) rates back down to ₦200 or ₦300 per liter as completely unrealistic populist rhetoric.
He emphasized that President Tinubu chose necessary, structural economic reforms over deceptive short-term fixes, warning politicians against lying to citizens simply to gather votes and urging opposition figures to present realistic policies.
Looking ahead to the political landscape of the 2027 presidential race, Basiru expressed full confidence in the APC’s prospects and predicted that the electorate would decisively reject Atiku’s prospective candidature at the polls.
Likening Atiku’s repeated presidential bids to the political trajectory of Kenyan politician Raila Odinga, Basiru characterised Atiku’s upcoming campaign as his final attempt, concluding that Nigerian voters will reject him because he lacks the moral standing and expertise to speak on the nation’s economy.
