Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on President Bola Tinubu to direct the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, to step aside pending the outcome of investigations into the death of 26-year-old Mary Habila, who reportedly died on June 27 at the minister's private residence in Uburu, Ebonyi State.

In a statement on Thursday, Atiku expressed condolences to the Habila family, saying, "No family should have to mourn a daughter taken in the prime of her life while also fighting simply to learn the truth of how she died."

He accused the Tinubu administration of failing to act with transparency, stating that "Nigerians deserve answers, and it is on this score that the Tinubu administration has failed, comprehensively and disgracefully."

Although he stressed that he was not accusing anyone of wrongdoing, Atiku insisted that only an independent investigation could establish the truth.

"Let me be clear: I make no pronouncement on anyone's guilt or innocence. That is precisely the point. Only a credible, independent, and transparent investigation can establish the truth," he said.

The former vice president argued that the government had a duty to ensure accountability whenever a life was lost in circumstances involving a senior public official.

He therefore urged President Tinubu to direct Umahi to step aside while investigations continue, saying, "This is not a punishment; it is the minimum standard of public accountability in any serious democracy."

Atiku also called on the Inspector-General of Police to transfer the investigation from the Ebonyi State Police Command to the Force Headquarters with the involvement of independent forensic experts.

He insisted that "no investigation conducted in the shadow of the Minister's home-state influence can command public confidence."

He further demanded "a full, independent, and internationally credible autopsy" with the findings made public, while urging authorities to protect Habila's family from "any pressure, inducement, or intimidation" and guarantee them access to the facts surrounding their daughter's death.

Describing the incident as a test of the country's commitment to justice, Atiku said, "The measure of a nation is how it responds when the powerful are touched by tragedy and the powerless demand truth."

"Nigeria will work again, but only when the life of every Nigerian counts, and when no one, however highly placed, stands beyond the reach of accountability," He said.