Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has dismissed claims by the Presidency that he failed to acknowledge the rescue of abducted pupils and teachers from Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, insisting that he had publicly reacted to the development before the allegation was made.
The disagreement followed criticism from the Presidency, which accused the former presidential candidate of remaining silent after security agencies secured the release of the victims. In response, Atiku’s media office described the accusation as inaccurate and urged presidential aides to verify publicly available information before attacking political opponents.
In a statement issued on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku maintained that he had released a statement shortly after news of the rescue broke, commending security personnel while also calling for sustained efforts to improve security across the country.
“It is astonishing that a Presidency with limitless public resources could accuse someone of silence without carrying out the most basic verification.”
Shaibu argued that there were only two possible explanations for the allegation.
“Either they failed to read our statement because they were too lazy to do so, or they deliberately ignored it because it exposed uncomfortable truths about their misplaced priorities.”
According to Atiku’s camp, the former vice president had welcomed the safe return of the schoolchildren and their teachers, praised the security agencies involved in the operation and expressed sympathy to the family of an individual reportedly killed during the abduction.
The statement also urged the Federal Government to focus more on addressing the country’s security challenges rather than engaging in political exchanges with opposition figures.
Atiku’s media aide further stated that public officials should devote greater attention to governance and the protection of citizens instead of responding to issues that could easily be clarified through basic fact-checking.
The exchange comes after the successful rescue of pupils and teachers who were abducted in Oriire, Oyo State, an operation that drew commendation from several political leaders, traditional rulers and organisations across the country. The rescue has also renewed discussions on improving security and preventing future attacks on schools and communities.
Neither the Presidency nor Atiku has indicated that the disagreement will affect ongoing national conversations on strengthening security, but the latest war of words underscores the continued political tensions between the government and the opposition ahead of future electoral activities.
