Atiku rejects Presidency’s silence allegation over Oyo schoolchildren rescue

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused the Presidency of misrepresenting facts after it alleged that he failed to react to the rescue of abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State.

In a statement released on Saturday through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate insisted that he had publicly welcomed the rescue and commended the security agencies.

“It is astonishing that a presidency with limitless public resources could accuse someone of silence without carrying out the most basic verification. 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,” the statement read.

The Presidency’s criticism came after Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga claimed Atiku had not congratulated the Federal Government, security agencies or the rescued victims almost 18 hours after they regained freedom.

Atiku countered that he had earlier issued a statement titled “A Nation at War Needs a Commander-in-Chief, Not a Campaigner-in-Chief,” in which he praised the rescue mission and called for intensified efforts to secure the release of all abducted Nigerians.

“The rescue of innocent schoolchildren from the hands of terrorists is a victory for our gallant troops and a source of hope for every Nigerian family. They deserve the gratitude of the nation,” Atiku had said.

He also cautioned against treating the successful operation as the end of the country’s security challenges.

“One successful rescue must not become an excuse for self-congratulation. A nation cannot celebrate while other parents still go to bed not knowing whether their children are alive or dead. Our work is not done until every abducted Nigerian is safely reunited with his or her family,” he stated.

Atiku said the reproduced portions of his earlier statement clearly contradicted the Presidency’s allegation that he remained silent.

He argued that although he commended the security agencies, he chose not to praise President Bola Tinubu, whom he accused of focusing on partisan politics rather than personally leading the nation during a significant security development.

He concluded that the rescue of the Oyo schoolchildren should renew attention on Nigerians still held by terrorists and kidnappers, insisting that the government should prioritise results over political propaganda.

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