The former Vice President and Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has noted that the release of Oyo kidnapped schoolchildren and teachers on Friday is a huge relief but expressed concerns over what he described as a political undertone.

 

In a statement on Saturday by his spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said it was particularly striking and shocking that the Oyo schoolchildren and teacher regained their freedom on the very day the national leadership of the president’s All Progressives Congress launched its ‘Door-to-Door’ campaign for the 2027 presidential election.

 

While Atiku hailed the Nigerian military for the rescue, he criticised the Tinubu government, alleging the administration is consumed by the politics of re-election while innocent schoolchildren remained in the custody of kidnappers for weeks.

 

He said Tinubu’s administration must have rescued schoolchildren first before starting political campaigns for 2027.

 

“The rescue of innocent schoolchildren from the hands of terrorists is a victory for our gallant troops and a source of hope for every Nigerian family. They deserve the gratitude of the nation.

 

“No serious government should be consumed by the politics of re-election while innocent schoolchildren have remained in the custody of kidnappers for weeks. The first campaign of any responsible administration must be the campaign to rescue its citizens, restore security and reassure anxious families. Politics can wait; the lives of innocent children cannot. Yesterday should have been dedicated to the war room, not the campaign room.”

 

“The commander-in-chief is more than a constitutional title; it is a moral responsibility. In moments of national triumph and national grief, Nigerians expect to see their president embody that office. Leadership is not exercised only behind closed doors; it must also be seen, heard and felt by both the citizens and those who threaten them,” he stated.