An opposition politician and public affairs commentator, Com. Abayomi Arabambi has launched a blistering attack on former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar following a court verdict that has reportedly put his political ambitions under pressure.
Arabambi who is a chieftain of Labour Party (LP) mocked Atiku over his reaction to the legal development, accusing him of double standards and questioning his complaints about threats to democracy after previously pursuing legal battles aimed at disqualifying President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In a strongly worded statement, Arabambi alleged that Atiku had engaged a foreign lobbyist, reportedly paying millions of dollars, in an effort to secure Tinubu’s disqualification. He also accused the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate in the January, 2027 presidential election of instituting legal proceedings in Nigeria with the same objective.
However, the ex – spokesperson of the LP argued that Atiku had failed to anticipate that a member of his own party and someone from his home region could become involved in a legal challenge against him.
He maintained that Tinubu was merely a spectator in the dispute, insisting that Atiku should not blame the President for a legal battle involving his own party member.
Taking a swipe at Atiku’s concerns about the implications of the verdict for democracy, Arabambi questioned why the former vice-president appeared alarmed when the legal process produced an outcome unfavourable to him.
According to him, it would amount to double standards for Atiku to pursue Tinubu’s disqualification through legal channels while portraying democracy as being under threat when similar legal challenges affect his own political interests.
Arabambi described Atiku as neither a gentleman nor a fair political opponent, accusing him of being cruel and mean in his approach to political competition.
He further argued that Atiku’s greatest political challenge had emerged from within his own political family and region, rather than from Tinubu or the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In perhaps his most provocative remark, Arabambi claimed that Tinubu would have preferred to face Atiku in an electoral contest rather than benefit from his disqualification through a legal process.
He declared that the President had defeated Atiku in previous electoral contests and would have welcomed another opportunity to do so at the ballot box.
However, Arabambi maintained that the law, rather than political rivalry, should determine who qualifies to contest an election.
He concluded his attack with a controversial expression, declaring: “Lions don’t eat a cadaver!”
The statement adds another dramatic dimension to the political exchanges surrounding Atiku, Tinubu and the legal battles over political eligibility.
