By Adesakin Adefemi
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has confirmed plans to visit the United States to engage policy and institutional stakeholders on Nigeria’s deepening insecurity, economic hardship, and what he described as declining governance standards.
The planned trip was disclosed on Sunday in a statement by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe. Atiku said Nigeria is facing a “full-blown internal crisis” that can no longer be downplayed or politicised, warning that the state is losing its grip on its most basic duty: protecting lives and property.
He cited ravaging violence in the North-West and North-East, persistent bloodshed in the Middle Belt, and the spread of kidnapping and criminality nationwide. “The situation has moved beyond isolated incidents to a pattern of systemic failure.
Communities are being overrun, livelihoods destroyed, and citizens abandoned to their fate,” the statement read.
On the economy, Atiku decried rising inflation, a weakened naira, and collapsing purchasing power that have pushed millions into distress.
He argued that policy inconsistency and lack of strategic direction continue to erode confidence in the economy and deter investment.
The former vice president also warned about Nigeria’s democratic institutions, saying declining public confidence in governance, accountability, and the electoral process could threaten national stability.
He insisted that any attempt to undermine transparency ahead of the 2027 elections would carry serious consequences for unity and legitimacy.
Pushing back against criticism of his US engagement, Atiku rejected claims that seeking international partners amounts to inviting foreign interference. “Telling the truth about Nigeria is not unpatriotic,” the statement said, stressing that Nigeria does not exist in isolation and its internal failures have external implications.
He maintained that while only Nigerians will decide the country’s leadership, international partners have a legitimate interest in the stability, governance standards, and democratic health of Africa’s most populous nation. “The world already sees what is happening; the real question is whether Nigerian leaders are prepared to confront it honestly,” Atiku said.
In a message to the current administration, Atiku urged an urgent reset of priorities, restoration of public confidence, and a credible strategy to tackle insecurity and economic distress.
He also called on citizens to remain vigilant and demand accountability, saying meaningful change must come from within.
The announcement comes as political activity intensifies ahead of 2027. Atiku, vice president from 1999 to 2007, recently left the Peoples Democratic Party for the African Democratic Congress as part of a broader opposition coalition, though the ADC is currently battling internal leadership crises and factional disputes.
It has also been reported that Atiku retained Washington-based lobbying firm Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C. in a $1.2 million contract to boost his reputational standing and shape policy perceptions in the United States ahead of his engagements.
