Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu of shifting responsibility for hunger and poverty in the country to the opposition instead of addressing the economic hardship facing Nigerians.
Mr Atiku, the African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate for the 2027 election, described the president’s claim that the opposition created hunger and poverty as an attempt to evade responsibility for his administration’s policies.
In a statement issued on Saturday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Mr Atiku said the All Progressives Congress, APC, had governed Nigeria for more than 11 years, including the period under Mr Tinubu.
“Blaming the opposition for hunger is 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,” he said.
“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.”
Mr Atiku said the hardship experienced by Nigerians was a consequence of the Tinubu administration’s policies, insisting that the president could not escape responsibility by blaming political opponents.
He also criticised the president over the commissioning of the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, alleging that the road was unfinished when it was commissioned.
“Your decision to commission the unfinished Abuja to Kaduna Expressway from inside a stadium shows how far removed you are from the daily reality of Nigerians. A road cannot be completed with a speech or a ribbon-cutting ceremony,” he said.
The former vice president questioned the government’s handling of the removal of petrol subsidy and the depreciation of the naira, asking which administration was responsible for the economic developments.
He also cited poverty projections attributed to the World Bank, saying the institution estimated that 63 per cent of Nigerians would be living below the national poverty line in 2026.
Mr Atiku further questioned the extension of the 2024 budget into 2025 alongside the operation of a separate 2025 budget.
He also raised questions over government expenditure, including N7.13 trillion reportedly recorded under “energy security” in 2024 and N11.2 trillion in spending related to Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) pipelines.
“Nigerians deserve to know who received these sums and what was delivered,” he said.
Mr Atiku also questioned 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 the Abu Dhabi financing facility.
He called on the government to explain the figures, while also blaming the administration for failing to address persistent killings, kidnappings and displacement in communities across the country.
“These are the questions Nigerians are asking while your government blames the opposition,” he said.
The ADC candidate said the president should focus on addressing the hardship rather than criticising those drawing attention to it.
“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.
Mr Atiku said Nigerians would assess the administration based on their living conditions rather than its explanations at political rallies.
He added that the 2027 presidential election would serve as a referendum on Mr Tinubu’s performance, insisting that Nigerians had rejected the administration.
“The people will judge your government by the lives they are living, not by the excuses you offer at campaign rallies,” he said.
“The 2027 presidential election will be a referendum on your record. Nigerians have felt the cost of your leadership in their homes, markets and communities.”