Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has defended his record in the education sector following questions raised by President Bola Tinubu over the funding of his private university. Atiku clarified that his investments began long before he assumed public office.
The exchange follows statements made by President Tinubu during a campaign rally in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. According to a report by Punch, Tinubu had accused Atiku of using public funds to build a university while serving in government between 1999 and 2007, questioning the former vice president's integrity.
Responding through a statement released on Saturday by his Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku explained that he laid the groundwork for ABTI Academy in 1993. He stated that this was six years prior to becoming vice president under former President Olusegun Obasanjo. The academy eventually developed into the American University of Nigeria situated in Yola, Adamawa State.
Atiku maintained that his business activities remain open to public scrutiny, contrasting his career timeline with that of Tinubu. He argued that the allegations were merely an attempt to distract citizens from prevailing economic difficulties across the country.
The African Democratic Congress presidential candidate also criticised the federal government's economic policies, asserting that more than 79 million citizens have fallen into extreme poverty. He disagreed with the administration’s stance against petrol subsidies, questioning the impact of current measures on unemployment, national debt, and general living standards.
Presenting his alternative policy platform under the Affordable Life campaign, Atiku promised to introduce a transparent, production-based subsidy linked directly to domestic crude refining. He noted that such a framework would lower retail costs for petrol and diesel while also expanding social welfare support for vulnerable citizens.
