President Bola Tinubu and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar have exchanged accusations over the funding of the latter’s private university, with Tinubu questioning his integrity and Atiku accusing the President of attempting to divert attention from his administration’s performance.

Tinubu made the remarks on Saturday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally organised by the Rainbow Coalition at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The President challenged Atiku, who served as Vice-President between 1999 and 2007, to explain how he established a private university while in office.

He alleged that the former Vice-President used public resources to build the institution, questioning the source of the funds and his ethical credentials for seeking another opportunity to govern the country.

“Ask him how he built the university while he was in office as Vice-President in charge of our economy. Who built the university for him? It’s your money, it’s your effort. A man without moral integrity, latitude and ethics for the office,” Tinubu said.

The President also accused previous administrations of leaving behind substantial unpaid pensions and gratuities, saying his government was working to clear the outstanding obligations.

He claimed that 27 of the 36 states could not pay workers’ salaries when he assumed office, adding that his administration had reversed the situation and was working towards economic prosperity.

Tinubu said the government was also addressing inherited pension arrears to ensure that retired workers, including engineers, welders and teachers, received their entitlements.

He urged young Nigerians to collect their Permanent Voter Cards and participate in the 2027 general election, describing the poll as an opportunity to determine the country's future.

In his response, Atiku described the President’s comments as a desperate attempt to distract Nigerians from what he called the failures of the administration.

In a statement issued by the Director of Strategic Communication of the African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu, the former Vice-President said his investment in education began before he entered public service.

Atiku said he was laying the foundation for his educational venture in 1993, when a United States court ordered the forfeiture of funds in an account linked to Tinubu over allegations involving narcotics trafficking and unlawful financial transactions.

He explained that the venture began as ABTI Academy and later developed into the American University of Nigeria (AUN) in Yola, Adamawa State.

Information on the university's website, however, indicates that ABTI Academy was established in 2002, while AUN was licensed as ABTI University in 2003, with construction beginning in October 2004.

Atiku maintained that his business history was traceable and that he could account for how he built his educational institution and entered public life.

He also accused Tinubu of presiding over worsening economic hardship, poverty, insecurity and unemployment, arguing that Nigerians should focus on the impact of government policies rather than political exchanges.

The former Vice-President said the administration had plunged the country into a cost-of-living crisis and questioned its ability to address the challenges facing citizens.

He further criticised the President for questioning his investment in education while, according to him, leaving unanswered questions about his own financial history.

Meanwhile, Tinubu commended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara for accepting the intervention that helped reconcile him with his predecessor, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

The President praised Fubara for what he described as maturity and respect for the counsel of elders, assuring him that he would not regret supporting the reconciliation process.

Tinubu also described Wike as a development partner of his administration and commended his contributions to infrastructure development.

Fubara, in his address, pledged that Rivers State would deliver three million votes for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, declaring that political divisions in the state had given way to a common position.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima also addressed the rally, describing Rivers State as an example of political alliance and saying Atiku and the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, were no match for Tinubu.

The APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, described the Tinubu-Shettima ticket as a formidable political combination, citing the administration’s economic reforms, including petrol subsidy removal and foreign exchange market unification.

The Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Abdulaziz Yari, said the party was targeting 2.3 million votes in Rivers State, which he said had about 3.3 million registered voters and 2.8 million collected Permanent Voter Cards.