The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has said former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar needs mental health support, alleging that his recent criticisms of President Bola Tinubu are driven by bitterness over his failure to become Nigeria’s president.
Keyamo made the assertion in a statement in which he accused Atiku of struggling to accept Tinubu’s emergence as president, describing the former vice-president as politically frustrated.
The minister also alleged that Atiku’s recent criticisms of Tinubu, which he said were presented as opposition politics, reflected what he termed “agitated depression.”
Keyamo argued that Atiku’s frustration stemmed from the fact that Tinubu had secured the presidency despite the former vice-president’s longstanding ambition to occupy the nation’s highest political office.
He said, “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.”
The minister added that what he described as Atiku’s recent outbursts against the President were being presented as opposition activities but were, in his view, motivated by personal disappointment.
Recalling the political histories of both men, Keyamo noted that Tinubu was governor of Lagos State while Atiku served as vice-president under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
According to him, Atiku was generally regarded as being politically ahead of Tinubu in the hierarchy of politicians aspiring to become president at the time.
Keyamo said both politicians had pursued the presidency since leaving their respective offices in 2007, sometimes working together politically and at other times pursuing separate interests.
He, however, argued that Tinubu eventually secured the presidency at his first attempt, while Atiku had continued to pursue the ambition for decades.
“However, through a combination of fate, luck, divine interventions and political dexterity, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu finally clinched the Presidency at the first try as against his never-ending ambition since 1993,” he said.
Keyamo identified this political outcome as the source of what he described as Atiku’s pain, anger, despair and depression.
The minister further invoked a biblical passage to argue that political power was ultimately determined by factors beyond human calculations.
He cited Ecclesiastes 9:11, which states that success does not necessarily depend on speed, strength, wisdom or skill, adding that time and chance affect everyone.
Keyamo said Atiku should be reminded that political power was given by God rather than determined solely by human ambition.
He also urged people close to the former vice-president to offer him support rather than encourage what he characterised as his political frustrations.
“We should all pity Atiku Abubakar rather than goad him on,” the minister said.
Keyamo further claimed that Atiku’s recent political posture could undermine his support base, arguing that the former vice-president risked losing supporters rather than attracting new ones.
He maintained that Atiku needed support at what he described as a critical point in his political career.
The minister concluded by predicting that the former vice-president was approaching political oblivion.
“Atiku Abubakar urgently needs mental health support at this critical time as he finally peters out into political oblivion,” Keyamo said.
