Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has fired back at Vice President Kashim Shettima, declaring that he wears his early background as a municipal sanitary inspector, popularly known as Wole-wole in Yoruba and Duba-gari in Hausa, as a badge of honor.
Responding through his campaign organization, Atiku proudly embraced his humble beginnings at the Kano School of Hygiene, turning Shettima’s attempt at mockery into a celebration of honest labor and authentic, self-made success.
Atiku stated that starting his career as a Wole-wole before rising to serve as a Regional Ministry Tax Officer, studying law at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), serving as Deputy Director-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, and eventually reaching the Vice Presidency represents the quintessential Nigerian story of resilience and integrity.
Taking a direct jab at the ruling party’s leadership, Atiku’s camp emphasized that having a transparent, fully verifiable academic record, even one that began with a sanitary inspector’s diploma, is far more honorable and credible than parading questionable credentials or lacking recognizable schoolmates to validate one’s past.
The exchange erupted during the official inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja, where Vice President Shettima accused Atiku of showing disrespect to the institution of the Presidency by repeatedly addressing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu casually by his first name rather than his official title.
Warning that anyone who fails to extend courtesy to the President forfeits the right to expect it in return, Shettima dismissed Atiku’s economic critiques as “voodoo economics” and taunted his qualifications, arguing that training as a Wole-wole or working in tax collection does not transform an individual into a modern economic authority.
Atiku strongly rebuked Shettima’s demeanor, demanding that the Vice President show him the respect due to a former Vice President, senior statesman, and elder. Expressing disappointment over Shettima’s tone, Atiku stated that such personal attacks violate Northern (Arewa) cultural values of respect for elders and former leaders, reminding the Vice President that holding political office does not grant anyone a license to abandon personal decorum or make irresponsible statements.
Advising the administration to abandon politics of insult, Atiku urged Shettima and the ruling party to focus on tackling the nation’s severe economic hardship, rising cost of living, and pressing security challenges.
