African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has replied to President Bola Tinubu’s question about how he built a private university while serving as vice president.
CDA News Nigeria reports that Tinubu raised the issue at an APC rally in Rivers State on Saturday. According to Tribune, he said: “Ask him how he built a university while in office.”
In a statement by his Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said his investment in education predates his time in public service. He said he laid the foundation of ABTI Academy in 1993, which grew into the American University of Nigeria.
CDA News Nigeria gathered that Atiku went further, citing a 1993 US court order for the forfeiture of funds in an account he said was in Tinubu’s name. He described the funds as proceeds of narcotics trafficking or unlawful transactions. “My history is traceable,” Atiku said.
He also accused the president of presiding over a cost-of-living crisis. He claimed more than 79 million Nigerians have been pushed into extreme poverty and challenged Tinubu to say where he is taking the country.
CDA News Nigeria could not independently verify Atiku’s claims about the forfeiture or the poverty figure. The Tinubu campaign had not responded to the statement in the source report.
Editorial note: Attributed reporting. The allegations are Atiku’s, and the right of reply is open to all mentioned. Report errors or request corrections at info@cdanews.ng.
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