Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has taken a swipe at President Bola Tinubu over his recent remarks about confronting political opponents ahead of the 2027 general election, urging the President to focus on resolving Nigeria’s mounting economic and security challenges instead of engaging in political rhetoric.

Atiku’s reaction followed Tinubu’s declaration during a meeting with members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) in Abuja on Tuesday that he was ready to “wrestle” his political opponents “to the finishing point” as the country heads towards the next presidential election.

Responding in a statement on Wednesday through his senior special assistant on public communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president described Tinubu’s comments as evidence of a leader overwhelmed by the shortcomings of his administration.

“Mr President, you are a drowning man. Wrestle with your failures, not your opponents,” Atiku declared.

He argued that the President missed an opportunity to reassure Nigerians after the Catholic bishops called for credible, transparent and peaceful elections, saying the occasion demanded statesmanship rather than combative political language.

According to Atiku, Tinubu’s response reflected an administration detached from the realities confronting ordinary Nigerians and lacking the humility expected of a national leader.

Rather than directing his attention at political rivals, the former vice president urged the President to confront inflation, rising food prices, unemployment, insecurity and the country’s struggling economy.

“The President should wrestle with the millions of Nigerians who now skip meals because food has become a luxury.

“He should wrestle with the insecurity that has turned farming communities into graveyards and highways into hunting grounds for criminals.

“He should wrestle with the unemployment that has robbed an entire generation of hope. He should wrestle with an economy suffocating under policy inconsistency, reckless borrowing and dwindling investor confidence,” he said.

Atiku maintained that governments with poor performance records often resort to political theatrics to divert public attention from pressing national issues.

“These are the words of a drowning man. A government that has little to celebrate inevitably seeks refuge in chest-thumping.

“But Nigerians are no longer interested in political performances. They are interested in performance in government.

“Empty slogans cannot fill empty stomachs. Boastful declarations cannot lower food prices. Threats against political opponents cannot restore the value of the naira,” he stated.

The former vice president further argued that Tinubu’s greatest political challenge remained the record of his own administration rather than the opposition.

“His greatest opponent is his own record. Every unpaid worker, every struggling business, every unemployed graduate, every victim of insecurity and every hungry family is a living testimony to the consequences of his administration’s choices. That is the contest he has consistently failed to win,” he said.

Atiku also stressed that electoral victory in a democracy is determined by voters, not political bravado.

“Democracy is a marketplace of ideas and accountability. Governments earn another term through competence, compassion and measurable results, not through combative rhetoric.

“In 2027, Nigerians will not be stepping into a wrestling arena. They will be stepping into polling units to deliver a constitutional verdict,” he added.

He urged the President to devote the remainder of his tenure to addressing the country’s pressing socio-economic and security challenges instead of engaging in unnecessary political confrontations.

“The Nigerian people are not looking for a wrestler. They are looking for a leader. History will not remember who shouted the loudest. It will remember who governed the best,” Atiku said.