Atiku Abubakar has confirmed he will travel to the United States for meetings aimed at drawing international attention to Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, economic hardship and declining governance standards. Paul Ibe, in a statement issued Sunday, said the former vice president will speak with policy and institutional stakeholders during the visit.
Atiku described Nigeria as facing a “full-blown internal crisis,” citing violence in the North-West and North-East, bloodshed in the Middle Belt, and kidnapping and criminality across the country. He said the state is losing its grip on the protection of lives and property, arguing that the problem has moved beyond isolated incidents into a pattern of systemic failure.
The former vice president, who served from 1999 to 2007, said communities are being overrun, livelihoods destroyed and citizens abandoned to their fate. He added that any government that cannot guarantee basic security forfeits the moral basis of its mandate, and warned that Nigerians are being stretched to the limits of endurance.
Atiku also pointed to rising inflation, a weakened currency and collapsing purchasing power as pressures hitting millions of Nigerians, saying policy inconsistency and a lack of strategic direction are eroding confidence in the economy. He raised similar concern about public confidence in governance, accountability and the electoral process, saying any attempt to undermine transparency or manipulate election outcomes will carry serious consequences for unity and legitimacy.
The remarks land as Nigeria continues to wrestle with insecurity in the North-West, North-East and Middle Belt, alongside wider economic strain and doubts about institutional trust. Atiku rejected claims that taking Nigeria’s problems to international partners is unpatriotic, saying only Nigerians will decide Nigeria’s leadership and that outside partners have a legitimate interest in the country’s stability, governance standards and democratic health.
His message now shifts the question from whether the problems are serious to whether the current administration will respond. Atiku urged the government to reset its priorities and restore public confidence, and he called on Nigerians to remain vigilant and demand accountability.
