Nigeria’s former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has leveled serious accusations against President Bola Tinubu, alleging that Tinubu is gradually transforming the nation into his personal fiefdom.
Abubakar, who contested the 2023 presidential election as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, claims that Tinubu has effectively taken control of the future of Nigerians, consolidating power within his family and close associates.
These allegations were detailed in a statement issued on August 21 by Abubakar’s media adviser, Paul Ibe. The statement, titled “Nigeria is rapidly transforming into a government of Tinubu, by Tinubu, and for Tinubu,” cautions that even after Tinubu’s tenure ends, undoing his deep-seated influence over the country’s resources and institutions will be difficult.
Abubakar drew parallels between Tinubu’s business practices in Lagos and his actions at the federal level, accusing Tinubu of intertwining his business interests with government functions. He pointed to companies like Alpha Beta and Primero as examples of Tinubu’s proxies in Lagos, which manage key sectors and generate revenue for his family. Abubakar asserts that Tinubu is now replicating this approach on a national scale.
“Just as Alpha Beta, Primero, and other entities operate as Tinubu’s proxies in Lagos, managing critical sectors and generating revenue for him and his family, he has now begun applying this model at the federal level,” Abubakar remarked.
He expressed dismay that Tinubu’s actions have overshadowed his own efforts to privatize the NNPC to promote transparency. Abubakar also questioned the decision to retain Mele Kyari as the NNPC Group Managing Director, citing what he described as Kyari’s incompetence. Furthermore, he criticized the appointment of Pius Akinyelure, Tinubu’s former superior at Mobil, as NNPC Chairman, while Tinubu himself assumed the role of Minister of Petroleum.
He said;
“The NNPC did not disclose the purchase price of OVH or the terms of the acquisition. A Freedom of Information request by Premium Times was also rejected by the NNPC, which claimed to be a private company despite still being government-owned. Following this dubious deal, Mele Kyari was controversially retained as NNPC GMD despite his incompetence.
“Tinubu then appointed his former boss at Mobil, turned ally, Pius Akinyelure, as NNPC Chairman, while he took on the role of Minister of Petroleum.”
Abubakar also condemned the acquisition of NNPC Retail by OVH, describing it as a questionable business deal and an abuse of power. He argued that the transaction violates the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which mandates the NNPC’s transformation into a public liability company.
Although he acknowledged that the NNPC and its leadership are currently being investigated by the legislature, Abubakar expressed doubts about the fairness of the probe. He highlighted that the head of the National Assembly panel, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, is a known ally of Tinubu with close ties to him, casting doubt on the impartiality of the investigation.