Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has dismissed claims by the Presidency that he remained silent over the rescue of abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State, accusing presidential media aides of either failing to verify facts or deliberately ignoring his earlier statement on the development.
The Presidency, through the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, had accused Atiku of not acknowledging the successful rescue of the victims despite repeatedly criticising the Federal Government while they were in captivity.
However, in a statement issued on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described the allegation as false and misleading, insisting that he had publicly welcomed the rescue and commended the security agencies involved in the operation.
According to the statement, there were only two possible explanations for the Presidency’s claim.
“Either the Presidency’s media aides were too lazy to acquaint themselves with publicly available facts before rushing to attack the opposition, or they were too embarrassed by the substance of our statement to acknowledge its existence,” Shaibu said.
He maintained that shortly after the victims regained their freedom, Atiku issued a statement titled, “A Nation at War Needs a Commander-in-Chief, Not a Campaigner-in-Chief,” in which he praised the Armed Forces, intelligence agencies and other security agencies for their efforts in securing the release of the abducted pupils and teachers.
The former vice president also stressed that while the rescue was a welcome development, the government must sustain security operations until all Nigerians still in the custody of kidnappers and terrorists are freed.
He argued that the Presidency’s allegation collapsed under the weight of publicly available evidence, adding that officials with access to government communication resources ought to verify facts before making public accusations.
Shaibu further said it was unfortunate that the Presidency chose to engage in what he described as political attacks instead of focusing on the broader challenge of insecurity confronting the country.
He reiterated Atiku’s position that although the rescue of the Oyo victims deserved commendation, many other Nigerians remain in captivity across the country and require the same level of commitment from the government.
The exchange followed Onanuga’s earlier criticism that nearly 18 hours after the victims regained their freedom, Atiku had not publicly rejoiced with the Federal Government, security agencies and the rescued pupils and teachers, despite his repeated criticism of the Tinubu administration during the period they were held captive.
The presidential spokesman, however, commended Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, for acknowledging the successful rescue.
The rescued victims, comprising pupils and teachers abducted from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on May 15, regained their freedom after spending several weeks in captivity following sustained security operations.