Presidency, Atiku in fresh war of words over killings

The Presidency and Atiku Abubakar are engaged in a public dispute over reported killings in Nigeria. According to reports, 5,091 Nigerians were killed in violent incidents across the country within three months. Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, described the figures as a "damning scorecard" on the government's performance, saying it reflects a failure to protect lives and property.

Atiku's statement, issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, attributed the insecurity to the government's "fiscal indiscipline, wasteful expenditure and poor implementation of budgetary appropriations." He stated that the killings are the "human cost of every padded budget, every frivolous expenditure and every failure to fully implement funds appropriated for critical national priorities."

The Presidency's response was not detailed in the reports, but it is clear that a public disagreement has emerged between the two sides over the issue of insecurity and the government's handling of the situation.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria, Daily Trust — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.