When a man who has chased the presidency seven times starts throwing punches at everyone around him, you know the end is near. Waziri Atiku Abubakar, once a heavyweight in Nigerian politics, is now swinging wildly, and the whole country is watching him miss.
In a fiery exchange that has set social media ablaze, former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode fired back at Atiku after the PDP stalwart told him, in a private WhatsApp message, that he lacked the credibility to criticise him. Fani-Kayode’s response? A brutal, no-holds-barred open letter that cuts through Atiku’s carefully crafted image like a hot knife through egusi soup.
This is not just a spat between two political heavyweights. It is a defining moment for a man who once stood tall as a champion of Nigerian democracy but now finds himself on the wrong side of history, desperately clinging to relevance as younger, sharper leaders take the stage.
What did Atiku say to Fani-Kayode?
It all started on a Sunday afternoon when Atiku, clearly rattled by Fani-Kayode’s earlier open letters, sent a blunt WhatsApp message: “PLEASE LEAVE ME ALONE FEMI. YOU SIMPLY DON'T HAVE THE CREDIBILITY TO CRITICISE ME.”
Fani-Kayode, never one to back down, replied with a question that stung harder than a scorpion’s tail: “IF I AM NOT CREDIBLE ENOUGH TO EXPOSE YOU THEN WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU ARE CREDIBLE ENOUGH TO EXPOSE OR DISRESPECT OBJ, GEJ, BAT OR KS?”
For those keeping score, that’s Obasanjo, Jonathan, Tinubu, and Kwankwaso. Four names that Atiku has clashed with over the years. Four names that carry more political weight than Atiku’s entire legacy.
Why is Atiku’s credibility being questioned now?
This is the man who has run for president seven times and lost. Seven. Times. And instead of bowing out gracefully, he is lashing out at anyone who dares to question his record.
Festus Keyamo, SAN, the Minister of Aviation, put it bluntly: “Atiku actually needs mental health support at this critical time as he peters out into political oblivion.”
Harsh? Maybe. Accurate? Absolutely.
But it gets deeper. Fani-Kayode is not just trading insults. He is digging into Atiku’s past, and what he is unearthing is not pretty.
What has Atiku’s ex-wife said about him?
Fani-Kayode is now threatening to expose details about Atiku’s former wife, Jennifer Douglas, including allegations that she threw his belongings out of their Dubai home and kept everything, from furniture to cars, for herself. And then there is Fati Muhammed, a Kannywood actress, who recently said: “I have been supporting Atiku in politics since 2007 and what has kept me away from him is his lies and broken promises.”
When your own allies start calling you a liar, it is time to take a long, hard look in the mirror.
What is the SPV scandal involving Atiku?
Then there is the “Special Purpose Vehicle” (SPV) saga. Atiku allegedly told his former media aide, Michael Achimugu, that he created this corporate vehicle to avoid “open corruption” and siphon public funds for the PDP and his personal use. An audio recording surfaced in 2023, but Atiku claims the voice is not his.
Fani-Kayode is asking the question that should have been asked long ago: if you want to be president, why are there so many unanswered questions about your past?
Is Atiku’s political career over?
Here is the thing about Nigerian politics: the people are watching. They see a man who has spent decades in public service but has little to show for it. They see a man who keeps running for president but cannot seem to convince enough Nigerians to give him a shot.
Fani-Kayode put it best: “The only thing you have is money, and though your vast wealth may buy houses, cars, gold bars, private jets, political parties and the worship and adulation of your court jesters and cheerleaders, it cannot buy class or character, neither can it move the finger of God or tamper with the manifest destiny of men.”
That is the kind of truth that stings. And it is the kind of truth that Atiku cannot run from, no matter how many WhatsApp messages he sends.
As the 2027 elections loom, one thing is clear: the star that once shone bright in Nigeria’s political sky is fading fast. And no amount of money or media spin can bring it back.
This is Part 1 of a series. Stay tuned for more as Fani-Kayode promises to dig deeper into Atiku’s record.
Chief Femi Fani-Kayode is a former Minister of Aviation, former Minister of Culture and Tourism, Nigeria’s Ambassador to South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini, and a legal practitioner.