25 October 2026 6:29 am WAT
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu of blaming the opposition for Nigeria’s hunger and economic hardship, describing the President’s remarks as “either delusion or a staggering case of political amnesia”.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), was reacting to Tinubu’s comments at the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign flag-off in Kaduna on Saturday, where the President accused the opposition of creating hunger and poverty in the country.
In a statement issued by his Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the Tinubu administration must take responsibility for its record as Nigerians continue to grapple with rising living costs.
“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.
The former Vice President also faulted Tinubu’s planned inauguration of a section of the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, arguing that a ceremony could not replace the actual delivery of infrastructure.
“A road cannot be completed with a speech or a ribbon cutting ceremony,” he said.
Atiku challenged the Federal Government to explain the effects of petrol subsidy removal 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 living below the national poverty line in 2026, accusing the administration of presiding over worsening economic hardship.
The ADC chieftain further questioned the extension of the 2024 budget into 2025 alongside a separate 2025 budget. He also raised concerns over what he described as ₦7.13 trillion recorded under “energy security” in 2024 and ₦11.2 trillion in NNPC pipeline-related spending.
Atiku’s remarks add to the political exchanges between the ruling APC and opposition parties ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with economic hardship, poverty and the government’s performance emerging as key issues in the debate.
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