Former Vice President and PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has challenged President Bola Tinubu to prove his commitment to the new Nigeria First policy by swapping his luxury Escalade for a made-in-Nigeria vehicle like Innoson or Nord.
In a statement by his aide, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said, “We challenge President Tinubu to stop the noise and trade in his beloved Escalade for an Innoson, Nord or any made-in-Nigeria car. That single act will do more to promote the local industry than a thousand policy memos.”
The Federal Executive Council recently approved the Nigeria First policy to prioritize local goods in government purchases. Minister of Information Mohammed Idris said, “This policy means Nigeria comes first in all procurement processes; no foreign goods or devices that are already being produced locally will be procured without a clear and justified reason.”
Atiku dismissed it as a PR stunt, “The Tinubu administration’s latest Nigeria First mantra, paraded through the Federal Executive Council, is nothing but another tired PR stunt—designed to deceive, not deliver.”
He added: “Let’s see the ministers—those shameless Rolls-Royce connoisseurs—sweat it out in Nigerian-made vehicles, too. Or is Nigeria First only for the masses?”
He urged Tinubu to end medical tourism, “The era of jetting off for medical tourism while preaching self-reliance must end. We demand that President Tinubu… conduct all future medical check-ups at LUTH, National Hospital Abuja, UCH Ibadan, or even the ₦41 billion Akwa Ibom world-class hospital… If these hospitals are good enough for ordinary Nigerians, they should be good enough for their Commander-in-Chief. Anything less is sheer hypocrisy.”
Atiku concluded that “Speaking of double standards… his next vacation should be at Obudu Cattle Ranch, Yankari Game Reserve, or Erin Ijesha Waterfalls. Nigeria is beautiful—unless, of course, the President thinks otherwise.
True leadership isn’t photo-ops or soundbites—it’s setting the tone by example.”
