Presidency breaks silence on Atiku’s border reopening pledge

The Presidency has dismissed Atiku Abubakar’s pledge to reopen Nigeria’s land borders if elected in 2027, saying the Federal Government already reopened most land borders on March 14, 2024, and has not reversed the decision.

In a statement by Special Adviser Sunday Dare, as reported by TheCable, the Presidency challenged the ADC presidential candidate to specify which borders he intended to reopen. “On February 14, 2026, President Tinubu opened the Kamba borders in Kebbi State, with attendant economic and diplomatic gains,” Dare noted.

The presidential aide demanded Atiku explain which border controls he planned to remove and what security safeguards he would deploy against terrorism, arms trafficking and smuggling. “An open border is not an uncontrolled border,” Dare stated. “Nigerians deserve to know precisely which controls he intends to remove and why.”

Atiku had pledged to reopen borders to revive trans-border trade and develop southern ports for a more balanced import system.