Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo has accused former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar of suffering from “agitated depression,” attributing his recent criticisms of President Bola Tinubu to political bitterness.
Keyamo made the remarks in a post on his official X account on Friday, October 9, 2026.
The comments followed Atiku’s criticism of the Federal Government’s 30-day petrol price discount at Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited stations, which the former vice-president described as a publicity stunt that could not reverse years of economic hardship.
In his statement, Keyamo said:
“It is now very obvious that Atiku Abubakar is a pained and very bitter fellow. The pain and bitterness stems from the fact that he feels President Bola Ahmed Tinubu finally outsmarted him politically to get the most coveted position of President and he can’t mentally deal with this fact.”
He described Atiku’s recent statements against the president, which he called “tantrums… veiled as opposition heroics,” as “a higher form of depression in the field of mental health called agitated depression.”
Keyamo noted that both men had long pursued the presidency. He recalled that when Tinubu served as Lagos State governor, Atiku was vice-president and was widely regarded as higher in the political hierarchy.
He argued that Tinubu ultimately secured the office through a combination of fate, luck, divine intervention and political skill, and that Atiku has struggled to accept this outcome.
The minister urged those close to Atiku to offer support rather than encourage further public outbursts.
“We should all pity Atiku Abubakar rather than goad him on. Those close to him should actually administer anti-depressants on him,” he said, adding that the former vice-president “urgently needs mental health support at this critical time as he finally peters out into political oblivion.”
Keyamo’s comments form part of ongoing political exchanges between the Tinubu administration and opposition figures ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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