Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has urged President Bola Tinubu to abandon any plan to seek re-election in 2027, citing what he described as recurring governance failures and the alleged leadership crisis at the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA).
In a statement issued on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the controversy surrounding the leadership of the BCDA had exposed what he called poor coordination within the Tinubu administration and was damaging Nigeria’s international image.
He questioned why a presidential appointee announced as the new head of the agency had allegedly not assumed office while the official said to have been replaced continued to function as the agency’s chief executive.
According to Atiku, the situation creates uncertainty over the authenticity of government decisions and undermines investor confidence.
“The embarrassment is becoming too much for us as a nation. We cannot continue to market Nigeria as a serious investment destination while our own government cannot determine who heads one of its agencies,” he said.
The former vice president also argued that the confusion extended beyond the individuals involved, noting that while the Presidency announced appointments for the position of Director-General, the BCDA’s enabling law provides for an Executive Secretary as the agency’s chief executive.
“This is not a mere typographical error. It raises legitimate questions about whether the appointment process was subjected to the most basic legal scrutiny before it was announced. Government is not conducted by guesswork,” he said.
Atiku said the BCDA controversy was part of a broader pattern of administrative lapses under the current administration, recalling previous leadership disputes at the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) and controversies surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
He also referenced policy reversals and disputed budgetary allocations, arguing that they had weakened public confidence in government.
“When one incident occurs, it may be dismissed as human error. When it happens repeatedly, it becomes evidence of systemic failure. From NIPOST to PFIPC and now BCDA, this administration has demonstrated an alarming inability to coordinate even routine governmental decisions,” he stated.
According to him, the repeated controversies point to weak institutional coordination, inadequate legal vetting, poor consultation and disregard for due process.
He called on the Presidency to clarify the legal status of the BCDA leadership and ensure that future appointments comply strictly with the laws establishing public institutions.
Atiku further urged President Tinubu to place national interest above political ambition by shelving any re-election bid in 2027.
“Rather than diverting public attention to an early re-election campaign, he should devote whatever remains of his tenure to addressing the pressing challenges confronting the nation or, better still, acknowledge that he has fallen short of the expectations of Nigerians and gracefully withdraw from the 2027 presidential contest,” he said.
He maintained that Nigeria could not afford “another four years of drift, confusion and avoidable embarrassment,” insisting that public resources should be focused on addressing economic hardship, insecurity and unemployment rather than political campaigns.
