Tinubu in Port Harcourt: Atiku helped cause the hunger he now complains about

President Bola Tinubu has blamed Atiku Abubakar for some of the economic hardship Nigerians are facing, telling a crowd at his re-election rally in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Saturday that the ADC candidate was part of the problem he now criticises.

"Those people talking of hunger are talking about the mess they created," Tinubu said, naming Atiku as one of them. He went on to question where Atiku found the money for a university he set up while he was Vice-President overseeing the economy. "Who built the university for him? It's your money; it's your effort," he told the crowd, and described his rival as a man lacking the moral integrity the office needs. The President did not name the university or offer evidence for the claim.

Tinubu said his government was fixing problems it inherited, and praised the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, as a hard-working partner in development. Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and senior APC leaders attended the rally.

Vice President Kashim Shettima also spoke, calling Atiku "intellectually malnourished" over his position on fuel subsidy and saying the NDC candidate, Peter Obi, had lost political relevance.

Former Delta State governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who was Atiku's running mate in the 2023 election and has since joined the APC, used the same rally to declare his support for Tinubu's second-term bid.

Atiku's campaign had not responded to the remarks when this report was published. Atiku is fighting a Federal High Court judgment that nullified the ADC leadership and his candidacy, a ruling he says he will appeal. The presidential election is scheduled for 16 January 2027.