Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said Nigeria is facing a “full-blown internal crisis” and warned that the government is losing its grip on security, governance and economic stability, as he prepares for a series of engagements with US policy and institutional stakeholders.
In a press statement on Sunday, Atiku said his forthcoming US visit would focus on the country’s deteriorating situation, which he described as no longer manageable through political rhetoric or denial.
“From the ravaging violence in the North-West and North-East, to the persistent bloodshed in the Middle Belt, and the growing spread of kidnapping and criminality across the country, the Nigerian state is steadily losing its most fundamental responsibility: the protection of lives and property,” he said.
Atiku argued that the pattern of insecurity had moved beyond isolated incidents to systemic failure, with communities overrun, livelihoods destroyed and citizens left to fend for themselves. “Any government that cannot guarantee basic security forfeits the moral basis of its mandate,” he stated.
He also criticised the state of the economy, pointing to rising inflation, a weakened naira and collapsing purchasing power that he said had pushed millions into hardship. According to him, policy inconsistency and lack of strategic direction have further eroded public confidence. “Nigerians are not just tired, they are being stretched to the limits of endurance,” he said.
On democracy, Atiku warned that declining trust in governance, accountability and the electoral process posed a direct threat to national stability. He cautioned that any attempt to undermine transparency ahead of the next election cycle would have serious consequences for both unity and legitimacy.
Addressing anticipated criticism over his engagement with foreign partners, Atiku said speaking frankly about Nigeria’s challenges was not unpatriotic. “Nigeria does not exist in isolation and cannot pretend that its internal failures have no external implications. The world already sees what is happening; the real question is whether Nigerian leaders are prepared to confront it honestly,” he said.
He stressed that while only Nigerians would decide the country’s leadership, international partners have a legitimate interest in the stability and democratic health of a country as strategically important as Nigeria.
In a direct message to the Tinubu administration, Atiku urged leaders to abandon complacency and focus on delivering results. “Power is not an entitlement but a responsibility, and Nigerians expect results, not explanations,” he said. He called for an urgent reset of priorities and a credible strategy to tackle insecurity and economic decline.
To citizens, Atiku said real change would come from collective action, not external intervention. “No nation survives in silence. Nigerians must remain vigilant, engaged, and unyielding in their demand for accountability,” he said.
The former vice president concluded that Nigeria was at a critical juncture and must choose between confronting hard truths now or drifting further into instability.
The statement was signed by his media adviser, Paul Ibe.
