Atiku Abubakar Criticizes Tinubu Administration Over NBS Website Hack
Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the recent hacking of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) website, calling it a reflection of the ongoing challenges and credibility crisis under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
In a statement released on Thursday by his media office, Atiku described the hacking incident as an “unpleasant development” that further underscores the difficulties facing the current government. He expressed concern that the breach could undermine the integrity of critical data used for national planning, development, and research.
Atiku said:
“The unprecedented claim that the website of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has been hacked is an unpleasant development that adds to the bad tidings that have characterized the President Bola Tinubu administration.
“This situation, which follows closely on the heels of the recent data published by the NBS on the Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey (CESPS), highlights the credibility crisis of the current administration.”
The former vice president also raised concerns about the timing of the hack, noting the release of sensitive security data just before the breach. He suggested that the attack could be an attempt to discredit or manipulate important statistical data.
“These are strange times in Nigeria, and it is hoped that this situation is not an underhanded attempt to undermine the integrity of data that is crucial for planning, development, and research purposes,” Atiku added.
He also warned against politicizing the statistics released by the NBS, pointing out that using such data for political gain would be detrimental to national progress.
“Attributing data, such as those gathered, analyzed, and released by the NBS, to political motives or manipulation is counterproductive. That is why the claim that the NBS website was hacked for the first time in its history is concerning, particularly given the stats it releases to the public,” Atiku said.
The timing of the hack, occurring shortly after the release of controversial data on security, raised suspicions, and Atiku expressed fear that it might lead to widespread doubts about the reliability of future statistics.
“We may be tempted to assume that every statistic released by the Bureau is an outcome of a hack,” Atiku concluded.
The former vice president’s statement highlights the growing concerns over transparency and governance in the current administration, as well as the implications of data integrity on policy-making and public trust.
