Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has stated that the looming political contest in Nigeria transcends party rivalries, declaring it a battle between suffering Nigerians and an administration he described as grossly incompetent.

In a statement released on Friday and obtained by Lagos Eye News, Atiku lamented the current state of the nation, accusing President Bola Tinubu’s government of plunging Nigeria into “untold suffering.”

“The coming political battle is not APC versus PDP, or LP versus APC. It is Nigerians versus an administration that has plunged the nation into untold suffering. The economy is in freefall. Inflation is choking the masses,” Atiku said.

Reacting to recent defections of some PDP members to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku reaffirmed his commitment to democratic values, stressing that freedom of association and expression are fundamental rights.

“Defections, alliances, and realignments are part and parcel of democratic politics. We’ve seen them before, and we’ll see them again,” he said.

He also addressed the backlash he received for visiting former President Muhammadu Buhari in Kaduna, insisting that such political engagements should not be demonized.

“Some have resorted to insults because I visited former President Muhammadu Buhari. Let’s not rewrite history: Buhari is not only a former leader but a significant statesman in the Nigerian political landscape,” he said.

Drawing comparisons, he questioned the double standards in political reactions. “When PDP leaders are busy sipping tea and brokering power deals with President Tinubu, it’s called strategic alliance. But the moment I greet Peter Obi, el-Rufai, or visit Buhari, it becomes a national emergency.”

Atiku called on Nigerians to focus on what he termed the “real enemy” — the Tinubu administration — which he accused of failing on all fronts.

“The real enemy is not one another — it is the Tinubu administration’s abysmal failure. We must reject every attempt to distract us with ethnic, regional, or religious sentiments. These are tools of manipulation, designed to divide and conquer, used by those with nothing else to offer,” he added.

He concluded with a scathing remark: “The Tinubu administration has no achievements to stand on, no credible record to defend. Its only strategy is chaos and division, because that’s the last refuge of the incompetent.”