Atiku aide urges Tinubu to seek medical care and address Taraba security crisis

Paul Ibe, the media aide to African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, has issued a dual challenge to President Bola Tinubu, urging him to abandon his re-election campaign in favour of medical treatment and to address security failures in Taraba State. Ibe’s comments, made on Sunday, 25 October 2026, were triggered by a video circulating online from the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign launch in Kaduna State and a recent deadly attack in Taraba.

In an interview with the Daily Post, Ibe described the President as unfit to lead the country, citing physical symptoms visible in the viral footage. He stated that Tinubu appeared to be shaking while speaking and argued that the camera operators deliberately avoided zooming in on the President, often cutting away during his speeches. Ibe urged the President’s family to make an honourable decision to withdraw him from public life to provide necessary medical care, asserting that his well-being should take precedence over political campaigning.

Background

The controversy centres on two distinct issues raised by Ibe on the same day. First, the viral video from the APC presidential campaign flag-off in Kaduna State showed President Tinubu in what Ibe characterised as a state of poor health. Ibe claimed the visual evidence demonstrated that the President was not well, leading him to call for immediate medical intervention rather than continued political activity.

Second, Ibe addressed the security situation in Taraba State, specifically referencing an attack on Binnari village in Karim Lamido Local Government Area on 23 October 2026. According to reports cited by Ibe, including those from Amnesty International, the assault resulted in the deaths of approximately 40 people. The attack involved the looting of shops, the burning of homes, and the displacement of families. Ibe contrasted this tragedy with the timing of the APC campaign launch in Kaduna, questioning why the administration was prioritising political rallies over the safety of citizens.

Ibe recalled a statement made by President Tinubu on 14 October, in which the President assured the public that governance would remain his priority during the election period. Ibe argued that this promise should be evaluated by the security of Nigerians rather than the frequency of the President’s campaign appearances. He demanded urgent security intervention, support for survivors of the Taraba attack, and the arrest and prosecution of those responsible.

Why it matters

The comments from Paul Ibe highlight growing tensions between the opposition and the ruling party regarding both the President’s capacity to govern and the administration’s handling of insecurity. By linking the President’s physical condition to his political activities, Ibe seeks to delegitimise the APC’s campaign efforts. Simultaneously, the criticism of the Taraba response underscores the stakes for the administration, which faces accusations of neglecting its primary duty to protect citizens. Ibe’s rhetoric suggests that the opposition views the President’s focus on campaigning as a direct failure of leadership, particularly in the face of violent attacks that have claimed dozens of lives and displaced communities.

What happens next

The sources do not provide information on any immediate response from President Tinubu, his family, or the APC to these specific allegations. There is no mention of scheduled medical examinations, official government statements addressing the Taraba attack in response to Ibe’s comments, or further dates for political events. The situation remains at the stage of public commentary and political challenge, with no stated next steps or pending decisions documented in the provided material.