Privatisation Row: Group Faults Atiku’s Defence, Says Record Speaks for Itself
Oru Leonard
The Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG), has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, accusing him of attempting to deflect scrutiny over his record on the privatisation of government-owned enterprises.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Emeka Nwankpa, and Secretary, Dapo Okubanjo, the group argued that Atiku’s response to recent remarks by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu failed to address substantive concerns about his tenure as Chairman of the National Council on Privatisation (NCP).
According to the group, President Tinubu’s comments on Atiku’s stewardship between 1999 and 2007 were grounded in widely documented accounts of the privatisation programme under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The TMSG maintained that rather than directly respond to the issues raised, Atiku’s camp highlighted a handful of transactions from what it described as hundreds of deals overseen during the period, a move it characterised as an attempt to divert attention from broader concerns.
It further noted that key enterprises referenced by the President, including the Delta Steel Company in Aladja and the Ajaokuta Steel Company, remain central to questions about the outcomes of the privatisation process.
The group cited developments surrounding the Delta Steel Company, pointing to reports from a 2025 National Assembly hearing which suggested disparities in valuation during its sale, as well as subsequent transactions involving the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON).
It also referenced earlier concerns raised by former Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Uche Ogah, who reportedly flagged procedural irregularities in the privatisation of certain assets.
Beyond the steel sector, the TMSG listed other enterprises such as the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), its mobile arm M-Tel, and the Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria, noting that many of them have struggled or become inactive since their sale.
The group concluded that historical records would ultimately determine the legacy of the privatisation programme, urging the former vice president to address the substantive issues raised rather than engage in what it described as “diversionary arguments.”
