Tinubu’s media aide accuses ADC candidate of diverting attention from questions surrounding Mambilla project
The Presidency has challenged former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar to address questions surrounding the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project before criticising President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, made the comments in a post on X on Saturday, September 19, 2026, following Atiku’s recent criticism of the Federal Government’s economic policies.
Dare accused the former vice-president of attempting to divert public attention from what the Presidency described as unresolved questions surrounding the Mambilla project.
Presidency invokes Mambilla controversy
The Mambilla project has become a fresh point of political confrontation between the Tinubu administration and Atiku, particularly following recent developments in arbitration proceedings involving Sunrise Power and Transmission Company.
Dare argued that the issues surrounding Mambilla were matters of public record and should not be dismissed as rumours circulating online.
“The Mambilla matter is not a rumour invented by the internet. It is a public controversy that requires candour, not diversion,” he said.
The presidential aide said Atiku should first respond to questions concerning the project before positioning himself as a critic of the current administration.
Dispute over Atiku’s economic criticism
The latest exchange followed Atiku’s World Press Conference in Abuja, where the ADC candidate criticised Tinubu’s economic policies and called for measures to reduce the cost of petrol and electricity.
Atiku has argued that the removal of the petrol subsidy contributed to higher transportation, food, logistics and energy costs, and has urged the Federal Government to take steps to provide relief to households and businesses.
Dare rejected Atiku’s intervention, arguing that the current administration was undertaking what he described as fundamental economic reforms.
The presidential aide also accused Atiku of using current economic difficulties for political purposes ahead of the 2027 election.
Those characterisations are the Presidency’s political assessment and are not independent findings.
‘Bola’ reference also criticised
Dare also took issue with Atiku’s repeated reference to President Tinubu as “Bola” during the press conference.
He described the manner of address as disrespectful and argued that political disagreements should not diminish the dignity attached to the office of the President.
The comments add another layer to an increasingly direct exchange between the Presidency and Atiku, who is preparing to contest the 2027 presidential election under the ADC.
The Mambilla controversy, meanwhile, remains a subject of competing political interpretations, with Atiku’s camp disputing the Presidency’s characterisation of the issues surrounding the project.