Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has taken a swipe at President Bola Tinubu’s government, calling its new “Nigeria First” slogan a shallow PR stunt rather than a genuine effort to fix the country.

In a statement through his aide, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku questioned the sincerity of the campaign and urged Tinubu to lead by example. He challenged the President to ditch his luxury foreign-made Escalade for a locally built vehicle from companies like Innoson or Nord. According to Atiku, such a move would speak louder than any policy document.

He also criticized Tinubu’s ministers, mocking them as “Rolls Royce lovers” and calling on them to embrace Nigerian-made cars in solidarity with citizens facing economic hardship. Atiku didn’t stop there. He asked Tinubu to swap his foreign holidays for visits to places like Obudu Cattle Ranch, Yankari Game Reserve, or Erin Ijesha Waterfalls. “Nigeria is beautiful — unless the President believes otherwise,” he said.

On the matter of healthcare, Atiku slammed the President’s recurring medical trips abroad, calling it a clear contradiction to the self-reliance message. He insisted that Tinubu should receive all medical treatment at Nigerian hospitals such as LUTH, UCH, or the well-equipped facility in Uyo, arguing that if these hospitals are good enough for the public, they should serve the Commander-in-Chief as well.

He ended by saying the government was asking Nigerians to make sacrifices while it continued to indulge in luxury. “Real leadership means setting an example,” he said. “We don’t need more speeches or staged photos. What this country needs is action.”