Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu over his claim that the opposition created hunger and poverty in Nigeria, insisting that the administration must take responsibility for the country’s economic challenges.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said Nigerians deserved answers about the rising cost of living and other economic difficulties as political parties prepare for the 2027 general elections.
Tinubu had made the remarks on Saturday during the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign flag-off rally at Ranchers Bees Stadium, also known as Kaduna Township Stadium, in Kaduna State.
Addressing supporters, the President accused his political opponents of creating the hardship Nigerians were experiencing, saying his administration was working to address the situation.
“I have an argument. I hear my opponent talking about hunger, poverty. Who created it? They did! They created the hunger, they created the poverty. We are trying to eradicate it,” Tinubu said.
The President also defended his administration’s record on salary payments, praised APC governors for their performance and urged Nigerians to support him for another term to sustain his promises of prosperity, continuity and development.
However, Atiku, in a statement issued by his Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, described Tinubu’s remarks as “either delusion or a staggering case of political amnesia”.
He argued that the APC had governed Nigeria for eight years before Tinubu assumed office, adding that the President’s administration had further extended the party’s time in power.
“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,” Atiku said.
The former Vice President accused the Tinubu administration of worsening the economic difficulties facing households and businesses, arguing that blaming political opponents would not resolve concerns over food prices, purchasing power and the cost of living.
Atiku also questioned the President’s planned inauguration of a section of the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, saying such ceremonies should not be mistaken for evidence that infrastructure projects had been completed.
“A road cannot be completed with a speech or a ribbon cutting ceremony,” he said.
He further challenged the administration to explain the impact of its economic policies, particularly the removal of the petrol subsidy and the depreciation of the naira.
Atiku claimed that the exchange rate had weakened from about N471 to the dollar to N1,329, while citing a World Bank estimate that 63 per cent of Nigerians would be living below the national poverty line in 2026.
The ADC chieftain also raised questions about the extension of the 2024 budget into 2025 alongside a separate budget for that year.
He further questioned spending figures he attributed to energy security and Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) pipeline-related expenditure, citing N7.13 trillion and N11.2 trillion, respectively.
Atiku argued that the administration should provide explanations for the figures and demonstrate how public spending had translated into tangible improvements in the lives of Nigerians.
The exchange highlights the growing political disagreement over the causes of Nigeria’s economic hardship and the performance of the Tinubu administration as political activities ahead of the 2027 presidential election gather momentum.
While Tinubu maintains that his government is working to eradicate hunger and poverty, Atiku insists that the administration must account for its economic policies and their effects on citizens.
