February 27, 2026 | News
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has raised alarms over Nigeria’s worsening political and security landscape, asserting that the nation’s current challenges under the All Progressives Congress (APC) are even more severe than those faced during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
Speaking on Thursday evening to opposition leaders, Atiku reflected on the 2014 political coalition that gave rise to the APC ahead of the 2015 general elections. He stressed that the unifying issues which motivated opposition forces over a decade ago—particularly insecurity and governance failures—have now intensified.
“You see, we did this exercise in 2014. We came together to form APC because the governance was faulty in 2014. Only for us to end up in the same position we found ourselves in 2014, and it is even worse,” Atiku lamented. “The major challenges we faced were insecurity here and there. Now, it is even worse than what we fought in 2014.”
His remarks coincide with growing concerns from civil society groups and opposition figures about escalating violence, kidnappings, banditry, and worsening economic hardship across Nigeria.
The APC was formed from a merger of opposition parties and succeeded in unseating the then-ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015—a historic first in Nigeria’s democracy. Atiku, a key figure in the coalition politics of that era, suggested that the expectations of Nigerians who supported the change have largely gone unmet.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu, speaking at the 25th anniversary of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in Kaduna, emphasized that insecurity, particularly in Northern Nigeria, remains the nation’s most pressing challenge. Represented by House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, Tinubu highlighted ongoing efforts to tackle terrorism and banditry while promoting economic growth through infrastructure and oil exploration projects.
“Nothing troubles me more gravely than the security crisis bedevilling Nigeria, especially Northern Nigeria,” the president said. “We cannot prosper when one limb of the national body is paralysed.”
SUNTV Global reports that Tinubu remains confident that the administration’s initiatives, including major projects like the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Superhighway and northern oil field developments, will bolster both security and economic growth in the region.
