Oyo Schoolchildren: ‘You’re Either Lazy or Embarrassed’ — Atiku Fires Back at Presidency

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has dismissed claims by the Presidency that he remained silent following the rescue of abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State.

In a statement issued on July 11, 2026, by his aide Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described the allegation as false, stressing that he had already released a public statement commending the Armed Forces and security agencies for their role in the operation.

“It is astonishing that a Presidency with limitless public resources could accuse someone of silence without carrying out the most basic verification. Either they failed to read our statement because they were too lazy to do so, or they deliberately ignored it,” Shaibu said.

Atiku’s earlier message, titled “A Nation at War Needs a Commander-in-Chief, Not a Campaigner-in-Chief,” welcomed the rescue, praised the courage and professionalism of security personnel, and urged continued efforts to free other Nigerians still in captivity.

Shaibu argued that while Atiku lauded the military, he questioned the President’s priorities during the rescue, accusing him of focusing on partisan politics instead of personally leading the nation in celebrating the success.

The statement urged the Presidency to focus on addressing Nigeria’s security challenges rather than “monitoring and misrepresenting the opposition,” adding that Nigerians deserve a government committed to rescuing every citizen still in captivity.

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