Atiku’s Desperation To Privatise ADC Caused Party’s Crisis — Tinubu

By Olumuyiwa Olumuyiwa

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has blamed the leadership crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s predilection for privatisation which he claimed the former number two citizen attempted to bring to bear on the opposition party.

Tinubu stressed that Atiku’s failed attempt to have the ADC in the clutches by hijacking it from those he met in the party is the reason for the litigation between factions in the opposition camp.

He  noted that Atiku’s past  role in Nigeria’s privatisation initiative was dismal and unproductive.

The Nigeria’s helmsman spoke while hosting a delegation of the renewed hope ambassadors at the State House,

“The head [Atiku] was the chairman of the privatisation council of Nigeria (NPC). He privatised the steel industry in Delta; is it working today? No. He privatised Ajaokuta. Is it working today? No, I can go on to list. They privatise another man’s political party, but the man (owner) said no,” the president said.

The ADC forged as an coalition to wrest the reins of power from Tinubu and by extension the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming 2027 general elections has been battling internal crisis since politicians from diverse parties flocked to its fold in 2025.

At the centre of the leadership crisis of the party is  Nafiu Bala, a former deputy national chairman, alleging that the David Mark-led leadership was illegally appointed.

As things stand the opposition party has been splintered into three factions led by Mark, Bala, and Ogga Kingsley, respectively.

However, on April 1, in what appeared as an attempt by  the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to interprete a certain court injunction the electoral umpire iderecognised the Mark-led faction and Bala’s group.

INEC cited  an interim ruling of the court of appeal.

The INEC’s decision has generated a lot of reactions from the public with members of the opposition party calling for the removal of the electoral body’s chairman, Amupitan.

Meanwhile, the supreme court has fixed April 22 to hear an appeal filed by Mark against a suit instituted by Bala’s faction, challenging his leadership.

Recall that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar played a key role in the privatization programme of the Olusegun Obasanjo administration.

The former Vice President served as chairman of the National Council on Privatisation, NCP.