The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, on Thursday said President Bola Tinubu wants re-election but is ashamed to face Nigerians to give an account of his tenure in office.

“Tinubu says he may miss campaign rallies because Nigeria needs his attention. Where was that urgency when Nigerians pleaded for relief?” Mr Abubakar said in a statement by Phrank Shaibu, the spokesperson for the ADC Presidential Campaign Council.

“He has had three and a half years to govern. In that time, families have been forced to cut meals, postpone medical care and watch their earnings lose value before they get home. Now, he wants another mandate. “

Mr Abubakar, a former vice president, added, “Before asking Nigerians for one, he must face them and account for the first term.”

He challenged Mr Tinubu to face Nigerians and explained why he should be reelected despite how his policies have plunged citizens into poverty and misery.

“Let him look a mother in the eye and explain what his government has done to make food affordable. Let him tell pensioners why they cannot afford their medicines. Let him explain to young Nigerians why years of study and hard work have still not brought them decent jobs.

“Tinubu says American creditors cannot wait. Nigerians cannot wait either. They have bills to pay, children to feed and lives to rebuild. They deserve a president who treats their suffering with the same urgency he gives creditors and investors.

“Instead, he is assembling a crowd of politicians to speak for him. He can fill every campaign stage in Nigeria. He cannot fill an empty pot with surrogates. He cannot send a politician into a market to persuade prices to fall,” the politician said.

According to Mr Abubakar, the people on Mr Tinubu’s campaign council did not receive the mandate in 2023; the president made the promises and took the decisions; therefore, he must face the questions.

“Nigerians will hear whatever his surrogates have to say. But when they vote, they will remember what they have lived through. No crowd of politicians can stand between Tinubu and his record,” Mr Abubakar said.

This comes against the backdrop of Mr Tinubu’s excuse that he would not appear at all APC presidential rally during the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council on Wednesday.

“I will make time to speak directly with Nigerians even as you lead the campaign to states and local government areas, so you will excuse me from going everywhere with you,” the president stated.