Nigeria at 65: Atiku slams Tinubu as Mbah, Idris, Adebayo call for peace, unity

As Nigeria marked its 65th Independence Anniversary on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, the mood across the country was mixed, with sharp criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s leadership from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and calls for unity, peace, and resilience from state governors and political leaders.

Atiku blasts Tinubu’s leadership

In his Independence Day message, Atiku, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), accused the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration of abandoning Nigerians to hunger, insecurity, and hopelessness.

Tinubu had in his independence day address earlier on Wednesday, hailed his reforms, noting that the worst was over.

But Atiku described the country as a “giant moving painfully slow on the feet of clay,” blaming decades of mismanagement and what he called Tinubu’s indifference to the suffering of the people.

“Hunger is killing Nigerians, bandits are massacring communities, yet President Tinubu and his cabinet stand by, unmoved and uncaring,” Atiku wrote in a statement posted on X.

“Every responsible government holds the welfare and security of its citizens as supreme. But what we have today is an administration that has abandoned its people. Oppressed and battered as our people may feel today, they will have the chance to sweep away this inept government at the next polls. That is a power no cabal can take away from the people.”

He added that despite abundant resources, millions of Nigerians had been reduced to “refugees and beggars in their fatherland,” insisting that decades of poor leadership and wasteful governance had left the nation adrift at 65.

Adebayo warns against poverty and fear

Prince Adewole Adebayo, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), also used the occasion to warn that Nigeria could not prosper while millions of its citizens remain trapped in poverty and fear.

“No nation can prosper while its people live in fear. Peace is not optional; it is the precondition for progress, the anchor of prosperity, and the oxygen of national renewal,” he said in a statement.

Adebayo lamented that over 133 million Nigerians are classified by the National Bureau of Statistics as multidimensionally poor, while 31 million face acute food insecurity. He noted that insecurity, insurgency, and communal violence had displaced more than 2.3 million Nigerians by the end of 2024, citing UN data.

“These are not abstract figures; they are broken lives, and they demand a national response as urgent as war,” Adebayo stressed, urging a coherent national security strategy that unifies the military, police, and intelligence agencies with modern surveillance technology.

While acknowledging the grim realities, Adebayo insisted hope was not lost: “The urgent task before us now is to build a Nigeria where no Nigerian is left behind, and where no community is consigned to despair. This is the true promise of independence.”

Governors preach unity and optimism

From the states, Independence Day messages struck a more conciliatory tone. Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, urged Nigerians to embrace optimism and remain united in the face of current challenges.

“At 65, our independence is a reminder of what we can achieve as a people when we are united. It is also a reminder that progress demands sacrifice, and that tomorrow is shaped by the choices we make today,” he said in his statement.

Mbah acknowledged the economic difficulties facing citizens but expressed confidence that reforms undertaken by the Tinubu administration would yield results in the long run. He also highlighted progress in Enugu State, pointing to improved security, infrastructure development, and inclusive policies as examples of government efforts to deliver on promises.

In Kebbi State, Governor Nasir Idris congratulated Nigerians while calling for prayers to restore peace and security nationwide.

“We have no other country like Nigeria; therefore, it is our duty to do everything possible to protect and project its image. Seeking divine intervention is critical to the restoration of peace, hence the need for us all to repent and return to our Creator for His intervention,” he said in his goodwill message.

He also urged Kebbi residents to support security agencies with credible intelligence, emphasising that peace remains the foundation for national growth and development.

Independence Day amid sombre mood

This year’s Independence Day was marked on a low-key note after the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation announced the cancellation of the traditional parade. The Federal Government nonetheless declared Wednesday a public holiday to commemorate the country’s independence from Britain in 1960.

The commemorations were overshadowed by national grief following the shocking death of Arise News anchor, Somtochukwu Maduagwu, during a robbery in Abuja. Her colleagues said she later died after being denied treatment at a hospital, an incident that has renewed public concern over insecurity and gaps in the healthcare system.

Despite the sombre atmosphere, leaders across the political spectrum urged Nigerians to hold onto faith in the nation’s future. While Atiku and Adebayo warned of deepening hardship and insecurity, governors such as Mbah and Idris called for unity, sacrifice, and resilience in confronting the country’s challenges.