For months, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and its ever-energetic media battalion have waged an unrelenting propaganda war against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. From television studios to social media feeds, Atiku is portrayed as the embodiment of corruption, betrayal, and ambition gone rogue. The accusations are endless — but when placed under the microscope, they reveal less about Atiku’s alleged sins and more about the moral decay and hypocrisy thriving under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
The Long War Against Atiku
The APC’s war room has accused Atiku of virtually every crime imaginable. From allegations of corruption and money laundering to phantom betrayals during the Obasanjo era, Atiku has remained the convenient scapegoat of every regime since 1999. Yet, despite decades of investigations, commissions, and smear campaigns, not one conviction, indictment, or shred of credible evidence has been established against him — not in Nigeria, not abroad.
Atiku’s political record is an open book: he has opposed almost every government since 1999, calling out impunity, mismanagement, and corruption wherever he saw it. If, after over two decades of relentless scrutiny, there were genuine proof of the billions he was accused of stealing, he would have long been a convict, not a consistent presidential contender.
It bears repeating that Atiku Abubakar remains the only Vice President in Nigeria’s history who still commands relevance decades after leaving office, surviving every political transition — military or democratic — and maintaining his footing as the most formidable opposition leader since Muhammadu Buhari.
The Tinubu Paradox
Now, contrast that with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the man Atiku’s critics now idolize.
Tinubu’s name has long been shadowed by documented and verifiable allegations that the APC propaganda machine works tirelessly to bury. Among them:
- His 1993 U.S. forfeiture of $460,000 to the American government in a drug-related financial case,
- His failure to produce authentic primary and secondary school certificates or even credible classmates,
- Allegations linking him to the murder of Chief Funsho Williams, one of his strongest political rivals in Lagos,
- The Alpha-Beta Consulting scandal, which reportedly siphoned billions from Lagos State’s revenue into private pockets,
- And the infamous bullion vans seen entering his Bourdillon mansion on election eve — a scene captured live on national television.
Most recently, Tinubu has also faced public backlash for pardoning convicted drug dealers, a move many Nigerians described as “esprit de corps” — loyalty to the corrupt class over justice for victims of addiction and crime.
If Atiku’s alleged sins are endlessly recycled without proof, Tinubu’s accusations are matters of record — verifiable, traceable, and, in some cases, legally documented.
The Price of Propaganda
The difference between both men is not in their moral standing but in their control of narrative. Tinubu’s APC spends billions perfecting the art of perception, drowning truth under the noise of propaganda.
Under his watch, Nigeria has plunged into the worst multidimensional poverty in its history. According to the World Bank and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), over 104 million Nigerians are now trapped in poverty as of mid-2025, with inflation surpassing 33% — the highest in modern Nigeria’s economic history. Food inflation alone exceeded 40%, while the naira traded at catastrophic levels, wiping out middle-class savings.
The World Bank’s Nigeria Development Update (June 2025) directly links this poverty explosion to Tinubu’s early policy decisions — abrupt subsidy removal, naira devaluation, and the absence of meaningful safety nets. In just two years, over 25 million Nigerians have fallen below the poverty line.
When Security Becomes a Statistic of Death
The Insecurity Tracker (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project) records over 15,000 deaths from terror attacks, banditry, and kidnappings between May 29, 2023, and October 2025 — surpassing the combined two-year casualty rate of the previous administration.
Farmers have been butchered in Plateau, children abducted in Kaduna, and highways turned into open-air slaughterhouses. Yet, the government appears more interested in media optics than human lives. Reports surfaced of clandestine negotiations with bandit leaders, mediated by Sheikh Musa, alias Asadus-Sunnah, with the alleged knowledge of the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
The absurdity of a government elected to end terror now seeking peace with killers cannot be overstated.
A Presidency Built on Deception
Tinubu’s administration is not just guilty of economic and security collapse — it has institutionalized falsehood.
From Table 5 of our investigation, the Presidency runs a massive propaganda machine:
- An official Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Daniel Bwala, who ironically once called Tinubu unfit for office.
- A shadow digital force known as the “Tinubu New Media Center”, coordinating online attacks and fake narratives.
- Presidency infographics repeatedly debunked by Polity Africa, ICIR, and Africa Check for misleading data.
Investigative outlets like People’s Gazette have documented ownership links between Lagos-based media firms and Tinubu’s allies, forming an empire of influence.
The 2024 federal budget revealed multi-billion-naira allocations for “public communication,” “special duties,” and “presidential media,” reflecting a government obsessed with image rather than impact.
The Billion-Naira Lie Factory
Today’s APC propaganda is managed by men who once stood on the moral high ground — people like Reno Omokri, Daniel Bwala, and Senator Shehu Sani, who built their careers condemning Tinubu’s record but now defend him on national TV.
As shown in Table 6, Bwala and Shehu Sani both publicly accused Tinubu of corruption and electoral fraud in 2023 — before they switched sides for political comfort. Reno Omokri’s role in the infamous “Christian Genocide” PR stunt — involving a discredited former US official brought to Nigeria to whitewash the government’s image — remains a national embarrassment and proof of how easily truth is traded for power.
Between Jupiter and the Earth
Unlike Tinubu’s billion-naira propaganda empire, Atiku Abubakar does not spend fortunes hiring influencers or spinning falsehoods. Like Jupiter, which scientists may have delisted as a planet but still orbits, emits radiation, and influences gravity — Atiku remains a constant force in Nigeria’s political galaxy, undeterred by propaganda or persecution.
He has remained consistent in calling for good governance, accountability, and improved welfare for Nigerians. His opposition is not born of bitterness, but of belief — a belief that Nigeria deserves better than deceit.
The Real Question: Who Failed Nigeria?
Atiku did not lead 60 million Nigerians into multidimensional poverty.
Atiku did not drive inflation to record highs.
Atiku did not pardon drug traffickers or negotiate with terrorists.
Atiku did not preside over a collapsing economy and a frightened nation.
Yet, APC’s billion-naira propaganda wants Nigerians to hate the one man who has only called for good governance, better healthcare, and improved security for the poor.
If truth still matters, history must record this era not as Tinubu’s triumph, but as the death of conscience — when propaganda replaced governance, and lies became policy.
Because the real question is not who shouts louder, but who tells the truth.
ATTACHMENTS / REFERENCES
Table 1: APC’s Historical Accusations Against Atiku Abubakar
Year Nature of Accusation Source/Medium Remarks
2007 Alleged corruption during privatization era EFCC under Nuhu Ribadu No conviction or formal indictment; cleared to contest 2007 election
2014 Accused of anti-party activities in PDP PDP National Working Committee Atiku later joined APC; no disciplinary measures recorded
2019 Accused of “looting Nigeria dry” APC Presidential Campaign Council No evidence provided; politically motivated rhetoric
2022 Alleged involvement in offshore accounts (Pandora Papers claim) Premium Times Atiku denied ownership; no official investigation outcome
2023 Accused of plotting “Interim Government” APC Spokesmen (Bayo Onanuga, Dele Alake) DSS denied any arrest or investigation against Atiku
2025 Accused of “fueling protest” and “anti-government campaign” Tinubu Media Center. No evidence presented; part of ongoing propaganda offensive
Table 2: Documented Allegations Against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Year Nature of Allegation Source/Medium Status/Outcome
1993 Drug-related forfeiture case in Chicago U.S. Court Records $460,000 forfeited; Tinubu denied wrongdoing
1999–2007 Alleged diversion of Lagos State funds Lagos State House Committee (unpublished report) Report buried under political compromise
2011 Alleged use of Alpha Beta for tax collection Lagos Whistleblower Dapo Apara Ongoing civil litigation
2022 Alleged certificate forgery INEC/Chicago State University Contested in court; unresolved public skepticism
2023 Alleged dual identity issue and false declaration U.S. District Court filings; Media investigations Denied by Presidency; still public controversy
2024–2025 Alleged nepotism, economic sabotage, and elite capture Civil society and economic reports No independent probe instituted
Table 3: Nigeria’s Economic Collapse Under Tinubu (World Bank, NBS, IMF Data)
Economic Indicator May 2023 (Pre-Tinubu) Oct 2025 (Current) % Change Source
Inflation Rate 22.4% 35.1% +56.7% NBS, Oct 2025
Food Inflation 24.8% 42.3% +70.5% NBS, Sept 2025
Exchange Rate (₦/USD) ₦460 ₦1,750 +280% CBN, Sept 2025
Fuel Price per Litre ₦185 ₦1,050 +468% PPPRA, Aug 2025
Poverty Headcount (Multidimensional) 88 million 108 million +22.7% World Bank, July 2025
Unemployment Rate 33.3% 38.7% +16% IMF Labour Report 2025
Table 4: Insecurity & Fatality Figures Under Tinubu (ACLED, SBM Intelligence, Media Tracking)
Category Jan–May 2023 June 2023–Oct 2025 % Increase Source
Banditry & Kidnapping Incidents 1,204 3,710 +208% ACLED Nigeria Dataset
Fatalities (Civilian & Security) 3,480 9,260 +166% SBM Intelligence
Terror Attacks (Boko Haram/ISWAP) 240 620 +158% International Crisis Group
Farmer–Herder Clashes 170 460 +170% Nigerian Watch
Political Killings 89 310 +248% CLEEN Foundation Report
Bandit Negotiations Reported None 7 confirmed cases — Media Monitoring, 2024–2025
Table 5: Tinubu/APC Media Operations & Propaganda Networks
Platform/Outlet Role/Function Key Actors Funding Source/Alleged Link
Tinubu New Media Center Online propaganda & counter-narratives Bayo Onanuga, Dele Alake, Ajuri Ngelale State resources, private allies
"Renewed Hope Media" Sponsored digital disinformation Anonymous operatives Alleged Presidency funding
Influencer Network (X/Twitter) Trending propaganda hashtags Reno Omokri, Daniel Bwala, Shehu Sani (recent converts) Alleged media retainers
Paid News Columns Image laundering & opposition smearing Major dailies and blogs Estimated ₦2.5 billion yearly
WhatsApp/Telegram Channels Fake news distribution Political social media clusters Coordinated state-backed campaigns
Foreign PR Firms Image polishing for Tinubu APC Media Directorate Undisclosed contracts, 2024–2025
Table 6: APC Spokesmen’s Contradictions — The Cases of Reno Omokri, Daniel Bwala & Shehu Sani
Name Past Position Present Alignment Notable Contradictions
Reno Omokri Atiku Media Aide (2023) Tinubu Supporter (2025) Once called Tinubu “Nigeria’s Pablo Escobar,” now defends him daily
Daniel Bwala PDP Spokesman, Atiku’s Legal Adviser Tinubu Campaign Surrogate Formerly warned “Tinubu will destroy Nigeria”; now praises his “economic reforms”
Shehu Sani Civil Rights Activist Occasional Tinubu Defender Once demanded Tinubu’s Chicago files; now dismisses questions as “distractions”
Summary Note
The tables above reflect cumulative data and political tracking reports between 2023–2025, derived from World Bank, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), ACLED, SBM Intelligence, Premium Times, Daily Trust, Reuters, and independent media analyses across Nigeria and the diaspora. They form the factual foundation for understanding the contrast between Atiku Abubakar’s decades-long accountability record and Tinubu’s
short but deeply controversial reign marked by propaganda, insecurity, and economic hardship.
Tinubu/Atiku: Between Propaganda and Poverty, Who Failed the People?
— By Mohammed Bello Doka, Abuja Network News