The Presidency on Thursday, 23 July criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s role in Nigeria’s past privatisation programme, claiming that President Bola Tinubu is clearing unpaid salaries and pensions left after the sale of public assets.
The claim formed part of a response to Atiku, and it is significant because it seeks to defend the Tinubu administration’s economic record while questioning the outcome of policies linked to the former vice president.
The issue surfaced after the Presidency replied to petitions submitted in the United States by a lobbying group working for Atiku over an old civil forfeiture case involving President Tinubu.
While rejecting the petitions, the Presidency also turned to Atiku’s record in government, linking it to the effects of privatisation carried out during his years as vice president.
In its response, the Presidency accused Atiku of overseeing the sale of national assets at prices that did not serve the country’s interest.
It said the privatisation exercise led to the loss of thousands of jobs and left many workers without salaries and pensions.
The Presidency said those financial obligations are now being addressed by the Tinubu administration as part of its efforts to improve the welfare of affected workers.
It stated that Atiku “presided over an egregious privatisation heist, selling national assets to cronies for peanuts and causing thousands of job losses and unpaid salaries and pensions that President Tinubu is clearing today.”
The statement did not provide details of specific companies or identify the salary and pension payments being cleared.
Rather than focus only on the petitions filed in Washington, the Presidency used the response to compare Atiku’s period in office with the current administration’s policies.
It said Atiku should explain his own public record instead of reviving allegations that have already been examined in relation to President Tinubu.
The Presidency also referred to past investigations involving Atiku in the United States and repeated its position that Nigeria had settled issues relating to President Tinubu through the 2023 presidential election and decisions of the Supreme Court.
It maintained that the administration is concentrating on economic recovery, security and investment while rejecting what it called attempts to take Nigeria’s domestic political disagreements to foreign governments.
The statement further accused Atiku of spending money on lobbyists in the United States rather than presenting policy ideas to Nigerians ahead of the 2027 election.
The Presidency said Nigeria’s current challenges require practical solutions and leadership within the country instead of political campaigns outside its borders.
It also insisted that President Tinubu is not distracted by the political attacks against him and will continue implementing his Renewed Hope Agenda.
Thursday’s response therefore extended beyond foreign lobbying and placed attention on the long-running public discussion about privatisation, workers’ welfare and unpaid entitlements.
The Presidency presented the Tinubu administration as one correcting the effects of past economic policies while defending its record against criticism from one of its leading political rivals.