Atiku Blasts Presidency Over Claims of Silence Following Oyo School Rescue

Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has fired back at the Presidency over allegations that he remained silent following the rescue of the abducted Oyo State schoolchildren and teachers. Through a statement issued on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku dismissed the Presidency’s claims as a reckless distortion of facts that contradicts available documentary evidence. The opposition leader suggested that the Presidency’s outburst was either a result of its media handlers failing to verify public information or being too embarrassed by the critical substance of his actual statement to acknowledge it.

The controversy began after Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, accused Atiku of failing to acknowledge the release of the pupils and teachers nearly 18 hours after their rescue. Onanuga contrasted Atiku’s alleged silence with a commendation for Labour Party leader Peter Obi, who had promptly reacted to the development. However, Atiku maintained that he had already issued a comprehensive press release earlier on Saturday titled, “A Nation at War Needs a Commander-in-Chief, Not a Campaigner-in-Chief.” In that earlier document, Atiku explicitly welcomed the rescue and praised the security forces for their courage and professionalism. He clarified that what he refused to do was applaud President Tinubu, whom he accused of prioritizing partisan political activities over national security.

“What we declined to do was to applaud a Commander-in-Chief who, at a defining moment of national importance, remained publicly preoccupied with partisan political activities instead of personally leading the nation in celebrating the success of our troops,” Atiku stated.

Atiku argued that the timing of the rescue operation coincided with the launch of the All Progressives Congress (APC) door-to-door campaign ahead of the 2027 elections. He described this political focus during a national security crisis as troubling, stating that the President should have been in the “war room rather than the campaign room.” According to the ADC candidate, President Tinubu should have addressed the nation alongside his defense chiefs immediately after the rescue to reassure citizens, rather than delegating the announcement to a spokesperson while engaging in political functions.

While expressing joy over the safe return of the Oyo victims, Atiku warned against premature celebrations, reminding the federal government that numerous citizens including children abducted in Borno State remain in captivity. He urged the administration to redirect its energy from manufacturing controversies with the opposition toward addressing the broader insecurity plaguing the country.

The underlying incident involved 39 pupils and seven teachers who were abducted on May 15 from Community Grammar School, Ahoro-Esiele, and Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. They were successfully freed on Friday after spending 57 days in captivity during an operation that officials stated involved no ransom negotiations.