Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has launched a scathing attack on President Bola Tinubu’s administration, accusing it of enacting policies that enrich the elite while worsening the suffering of poor Nigerians.
In a statement assessing Tinubu’s two years in office, Atiku said the current government is “one of the most incompetent, disconnected, and anti-people governments” in Nigeria’s democratic history.
He criticised what he described as a deliberate pattern of governance that inflicts hardship on the masses, while public officials continue to enjoy luxury and unchecked spending.
“This government has not only deepened poverty across the country, but it has also set new records in wasteful public spending,” Abubakar said.
“At a time when millions of Nigerians struggle to survive, government officials are living in excess and approving budgets that benefit the elite at the expense of the common man,” he added.
Atiku said Nigeria has not only remained the poverty capital of the world under Tinubu but has also overtaken war-torn Sudan in having the highest number of malnourished children in Africa. Citing the 2024 Global Hunger Index, he noted Nigeria ranks 18th globally among countries worst affected by hunger and malnutrition.
“Policy after policy under this administration has targeted the poor while providing relief and advantage to the rich,” he said.
“From healthcare to education to identity management and basic public services, Nigerians are now faced with class-based systems where the wealthy enjoy VIP treatment, and the rest are left behind.”
He referenced the fee hikes introduced by the National Identity Management Commission and public universities, which he described as deliberate moves that disproportionately burden the poor.
Turning to the economy, Atiku condemned Tinubu’s borrowing plans as reckless. He noted that Nigeria’s public debt stood at N49 trillion when Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, but has since surged to N144 trillion—an increase of more than 150 percent. With new loan requests pending, he warned that the figure could rise to N183 trillion.
He dismissed the government’s explanation that more borrowing is necessary to fund the 2025 budget and cushion the impact of the fuel subsidy removal. “It was the reckless and insensitive way his government removed the subsidy that created much of today’s economic hardship in the first place,” he said.
“Today, Nigeria is a nation where the rich get richer, and the poor are punished for trying to survive. This reality can not and will not be ignored.”
Atiku concluded by vowing that opposition forces will reject any effort to turn Nigeria into a one-party state, saying they will resist all attempts to suppress dissent and abuse democratic power.
