•Atiku and Tinubu
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu of shifting responsibility for Nigeria’s economic hardship to the opposition, insisting that the administration must account for its record ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), was reacting to Tinubu’s remark at the APC campaign flag-off in Kaduna on Saturday that the opposition created hunger and poverty in the country.
In a statement issued by his Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described the President’s comment as “either delusion or a staggering case of political amnesia”.
“The APC governed Nigeria for eight years before you took office. You have added another three and a half years. Nigerians know who has been in power, and hardship did not begin when the opposition started talking about it. Stop insulting their intelligence and answer for your record,” he said.
Atiku accused Tinubu’s administration of worsening the hardship faced by Nigerians, arguing that the President could not dismiss concerns about the cost of living by blaming political opponents.
He also criticised Tinubu’s planned inauguration of a section of the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, alleging that the ceremony showed how disconnected the president was from the daily realities of Nigerians.
“A road cannot be completed with a speech or a ribbon cutting ceremony,” he said.
The former Vice President challenged the administration to explain the removal of the petrol subsidy and the depreciation of the naira, which he claimed had fallen from about ₦471 to ₦1,329 to the dollar.
He also cited a World Bank estimate that 63 per cent of Nigerians would be below the national poverty line in 2026, accusing the government of presiding over rising poverty.
Atiku further questioned the extension of the 2024 budget into 2025 alongside a separate 2025 budget, as well as what he described as ₦7.13 trillion recorded under “energy security” in 2024 and ₦11.2 trillion in NNPC pipeline-related spending.
He called on the government to explain the figures and disclose what was delivered, as well as who received the sums.
Atiku also demanded an explanation for what he described as a $12.4 billion gap in Nigeria’s external accounts for the first half of 2026 and the payment of $22.5 million in “other charges” on an Abu Dhabi financing facility.
He further blamed the administration for failing to address killings, kidnappings and displacement across the country, saying Nigerians were asking questions about the government’s response to insecurity.
“You cannot govern for three years, make life harder, and then blame others for describing the hardship. You asked who created the hunger. Nigerians are asking what you have done to end it,” he said.
Atiku said the 2027 presidential election would be a referendum on Tinubu’s record, arguing that voters would judge the administration by their experiences at home, in markets and in their communities rather than by its campaign promises.
“The people will judge your government by the lives they are living, not by the excuses you offer at campaign rallies,” he said.
He concluded by claiming that Nigerians had rejected the administration, adding that their verdict would be reflected in the next presidential election.
