Atiku Questions Timing of Oyo Schoolchildren’s Rescue, Says Tinubu Prioritising 2027 Politics Over Security

Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has welcomed the rescue of the kidnapped Oyo schoolchildren and their teachers, but raised concerns over what he described as the “political undertone” surrounding their release.

In a statement issued on Saturday by his spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said it was “striking and shocking” that the victims regained their freedom on the same day the national leadership of President Bola Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress (APC) launched its nationwide door-to-door campaign for the 2027 presidential election.

While commending the Nigerian military for securing the release of the victims, Atiku criticised the Tinubu administration, accusing it of focusing on re-election politics while innocent Nigerians remained in the custody of kidnappers for weeks.

According to the former vice president, the government’s priority should have been rescuing the abducted schoolchildren before embarking on political campaigns.

“The rescue of innocent schoolchildren from the hands of terrorists is a victory for our gallant troops and a source of hope for every Nigerian family. They deserve the gratitude of the nation.

“No serious government should be consumed by the politics of re-election while innocent schoolchildren have remained in the custody of kidnappers for weeks. The first campaign of any responsible administration must be the campaign to rescue its citizens, restore security and reassure anxious families. Politics can wait; the lives of innocent children cannot. Yesterday should have been dedicated to the war room, not the campaign room.”

Atiku also stressed that the office of the Commander-in-Chief carries a moral obligation beyond its constitutional responsibilities, saying Nigerians expect visible leadership during moments of national crisis and triumph.

“The Commander-in-Chief is more than a constitutional title; it is a moral responsibility. In moments of national triumph and national grief, Nigerians expect to see their president embody that office. Leadership is not exercised only behind closed doors; it must also be seen, heard and felt by both the citizens and those who threaten them.”