Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has accused the presidency of spreading false claims about his silence regarding the Oyo State schoolchildren rescue.

In a statement by his senior special assistant, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku dismissed the presidency's allegations as a reckless distortion of facts, pointing out that he had already issued a comprehensive press statement welcoming the rescue and commending security agencies.

The presidency's criticism followed remarks from Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President, who criticized Atiku for not publicly reacting to the rescue.

Atiku emphasized that the successful rescue should not divert attention from ongoing kidnappings in Borno and other regions, urging the government to prioritize rescuing all abducted Nigerians.

He argued that the presidency's claims were baseless, as his public statement clearly addressed the issue, and warned that the government should focus on resolving the crisis rather than political posturing.