A former vice president of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar has slammed President Bola Tinubu’s administration for corruption, incompetence, misplacement of priorities and lack of sincerity in handling security issues in the country.
Atiku while reacting to a recent report that only seven per cent of the 2025 budget was disbursed for security equipment said the present administration has been paying lip service to Nigeria’s security challenges.
Describing such a report as an indictment on the Tinubu-led government, the former coalition party leader said that seven per cent disbursement of funds for security equipment is too low to deal with the grim realities faced bu the Nigerian Military and its troops on the battlefield.
He also said that the report is a direct consequence of corruption, incompetence and insincerity on the part of the Tinubu administration.
“A poorly equipped army can neither protect itself, nor the country it is supposed to serve. Lack of adequate funding compromises the security of our military forces and the country at large. Incompetence and corruption that cause a lack of proper and timely disbursement of funds are the main enemies hindering the efforts to address security challenges,” Atiku said.
He further warned that no nation can separate the recent high-profile deaths of military commanders from the corruption, incompetence and lack of sincerity rocking the top echelons of government.
According to Atiku, Nigeria’s security challenges demand a sense of urgency in the disbursement of funds and the Tinubu administration should apologise to citizens for its own colossal incompetence and lethargy.
“Non-implementation of budgetary allocations has severe consequences for national security, but the government is behaving with cavalier indifference because it’s more obsessed with the 2027 elections than the security of the country.
“No country can afford to disburse just 7 per cent for equipment purchase and expect its military to perform any magic,” Atiku said.
He added that any government that “shamelessly thrives on propaganda” rather than an actual or objective scorecard, has no business seeking reelection.
“What will be Tinubu’s credible campaign issue in 2027?” the former vice president asked.