The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has accused former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of being bitter over President Bola Tinubu’s emergence as Nigeria’s president.
Keyamo made the allegation in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, claiming that the ADC presidential candidate was struggling to come to terms with Tinubu’s political success.
He alleged that Atiku’s recent criticisms of the president were driven by frustration over his inability to secure the nation’s highest political office rather than genuine opposition to the administration’s policies.
“It is now very obvious that Atiku Abubakar is a pained and very bitter fellow. The pain and bitterness stems from the fact that he feels President Bola Ahmed Tinubu finally outsmarted him politically to get the most coveted position of President and he can’t mentally deal with this fact.
“What we are witnessing with all his recent tantrums against Mr. President, veiled as opposition heroics, is actually a higher form of depression in the field of mental health called agitated depression,” he said.
Reflecting on the political rivalry between the two leaders, Keyamo recalled that Tinubu was governor of Lagos State while Atiku served as vice-president. He noted that both politicians had pursued presidential ambitions over the years, with Tinubu eventually clinching the presidency at his first attempt in 2023.
The Minister attributed Tinubu’s emergence as president to a combination of fate, luck, divine intervention and political dexterity, contrasting his first successful attempt with what he described as Atiku’s “never-ending” presidential ambition dating back to 1993.
“Here lies his pain, anger, despair and depression,” he asserted.
Keyamo reminded Atiku that, despite his recent criticisms of the president, political power ultimately comes from God rather than man.
He cited Ecclesiastes 9:11, which he described as his favourite Bible verse since he was 10 years old.
“I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all,” he quoted.
The Minister further argued that Atiku should be pitied rather than encouraged in his criticisms of Tinubu, urging those close to the former vice-president to “actually administer anti-depressants on him.”
Keyamo warned that Atiku’s recent political posture could cost him supporters rather than attract more, arguing that he risked losing some of his most intelligent followers.
He further stated that the ADC presidential candidate urgently needed mental health support, adding that he was gradually heading towards political oblivion.
