Nigeria Worse Than 2014 — Atiku
*Regrets Role in APC Formation That Ousted Jonathan
“Nigeria’s political landscape may be on the verge of another major realignment as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar publicly expressed regret over his role in forming the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2014, declaring that the country’s situation has deteriorated beyond the conditions that initially prompted the coalition. Speaking at a high-profile opposition gathering in Abuja, Atiku warned that Nigeria’s democracy is under deeper strain than ever before.”
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has expressed regret over his involvement in the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2014, stating that Nigeria’s current political and economic realities are worse than what opposition leaders sought to correct at the time.
Atiku made the remarks on Thursday while addressing journalists at a press conference in Abuja, where leaders of opposition parties convened under the theme, “Urgent Call to Save Nigeria’s Democracy.”
Reflecting on events that led to the formation of the APC, Atiku said opposition figures united in 2014 because they believed democracy was faltering under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
“We did this exercise in 2014, not so? We came together and formed APC because we felt democracy was faltering, only for us to end up at the same position we found ourselves in 2014 — worse,” he said.
According to him, insecurity and economic instability were among the major concerns that drove the opposition merger at the time.
However, he argued that those challenges have intensified under the current administration.
“In 2014, the major challenges were insecurity, the economy and so on. Now it is even worse than what we fought against,” Atiku stated.
The former vice president stressed that any emerging political coalition must remain focused on rebuilding democratic institutions and restoring public confidence in governance.
“We must have that in mind. We must succeed to make sure that we restore true democracy to our country,” he added.
The press briefing attracted several prominent opposition figures and signaled renewed efforts toward political collaboration ahead of future electoral contests. Observers say the development could reshape Nigeria’s opposition politics in the coming months.
