President Bola Tinubu has criticised former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over his repeated departures from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), questioning his leadership ability and sense of responsibility.
Tinubu made the remarks on Friday during a state dinner organised by the Akwa Ibom State Government.
“The other one (Atiku Abubakar)… I have been fighting the roads in Adamawa and every place where he comes from,” Tinubu said.
The president claimed Atiku left the PDP after indications that some members were preparing to challenge his leadership.
Although he acknowledged that the PDP was once a formidable political force, Tinubu accused Atiku of abandoning the party as soon as he faced opposition.
“PDP was a bunch of party, in which some of the good people here believed in… initially. Immediately, a little inkling came that they were going to challenge his leadership. He ran away,” he said.
Tinubu also criticised Atiku’s decision to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC), making a sarcastic reference to his new political platform.
“He abandoned the party; now he’s in ADC, or somewhere in the jungle, and he’s looking for presidency,” Tinubu said.
The president questioned whether Nigerians should entrust the country’s leadership to someone he accused of avoiding responsibility when faced with challenges at a lower level.
“Will you give such a person who has no leadership, no leadership quality, no sense of responsibility, no sense of cohesion that can do good to this country, the presidency?” he asked.
Tinubu also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the proposed Akwa Ibom Deep Seaport, calling on the state government to honour its own commitment to the project.
“Keep your promise. I will keep mine. There will be Akwa Ibom Deep seaport,” he said.
Describing the forthcoming presidential election as a defining moment for Nigeria, Tinubu said its outcome would shape the country’s future direction.
“This coming election on January 16th, 2027 is a consequential election; it will determine the direction of this country,” he said.
The president also defended his administration’s economic record, claiming that the country had moved beyond the financial difficulties it inherited.
“When I took over, 27 governors out of 36 of this country, were unable to pay salaries, not to talk of pensions and gratuities. Today, I stand before you, able to say, we are out of that dark tunnel.
“I can beat my chest to say we are out of the greatest despair, a dark tunnel of uncertainty and calamitous bankruptcy.”
Tinubu also directed criticism at Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Atiku, Tinubu and Obi are among the prominent contenders in the 2027 presidential election.
Atiku left the PDP in 2006 to join the Action Congress (AC) after failing to secure the party’s presidential ticket. He later left the party in 2014 to participate in the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He most recently departed the PDP on July 14, 2025.