Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has seized on the lingering leadership controversy at the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA) to launch a fresh attack on the Tinubu administration, arguing that the dispute reflects a deeper crisis of governance and administrative coordination.
Atiku said the confusion surrounding the agency’s leadership has reinforced concerns about what he described as a pattern of policy inconsistencies, institutional disorder and weak governance under President Bola Tinubu, urging the President to reconsider any ambition to seek re-election in 2027.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former Vice President said the inability of the government to conclusively resolve the BCDA leadership issue has become an embarrassment to Nigeria and raised questions about the credibility of official presidential directives.
He questioned how an official announced by the Presidency as having been replaced could allegedly continue to function in office, remain listed on the agency’s official platform and carry out official engagements.
According to Atiku, such contradictions project Nigeria as a country where government decisions are neither properly coordinated nor effectively implemented.
He further argued that the controversy is compounded by what he described as inconsistencies in the appointment itself, noting that while the Presidency announced appointments to the office of Director-General, the law establishing the BCDA recognises the Executive Secretary as the agency’s chief executive.
To him, the discrepancy raises concerns over whether due legal diligence was undertaken before the appointments were announced.
Atiku said the BCDA episode mirrors earlier controversies involving the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), policy reversals and other disputed government actions, which he said point to a recurring pattern rather than isolated administrative errors.
He maintained that repeated governance controversies have weakened public confidence in government institutions and could undermine investor confidence at a time Nigeria is seeking to attract foreign investment.
The ADC standard-bearer argued that a government unable to coordinate appointments within its own agencies would struggle to effectively address insecurity, economic challenges and institutional reforms.
He therefore called on the Presidency to immediately clarify the legal status of the BCDA leadership, ensure that future appointments comply strictly with the enabling laws of public institutions and restore discipline to the machinery of government.
Atiku also challenged President Tinubu to prioritise governance over politics, saying the country’s current challenges require undivided attention rather than preparations for another election cycle.
According to him, if the administration cannot reverse what he described as mounting governance failures, the President should abandon any bid for a second term and allow Nigerians the opportunity to choose a new leadership in 2027.
He insisted that history ultimately judges leaders by the quality of governance they provide, not by the length of time they remain in office.