Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has declared President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration a failure and vowed that a united opposition coalition will challenge its governance and policies.
The remark, coming on the day Tinubu marks a second anniversary in office, follows growing speculation of a political alliance ahead of the 2027 general elections. With Atiku included, other prominent figures in the alliance include former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and Labour Party’s Peter Obi.
In a statement titled “Tinubu’s Government Has Failed The People — Opposition Coalition Will Not Be Silent”, Atiku condemned what he described as two years of misrule, economic hardship, and authoritarian tendencies under the Tinubu presidency.
“In just two years, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has proven to be one of the most incompetent, disconnected, and anti-people governments in Nigeria’s democratic history,” Atiku said. “No previous administration has inflicted this level of hardship on the masses while showing such disregard for transparency, accountability, and responsible leadership.”
The former vice president accused the administration of worsening poverty, fueling economic inequality.
“This government has not only deepened poverty across the country, but it has also set new records in wasteful public spending,” he noted. “At a time when millions of Nigerians are struggling to survive, government officials are living in excess and approving budgets that benefit the elite at the expense of the common man.”
“It is sad that apart from being the poverty capital of the world, Nigeria has under this administration emerged as the unenviable position as the capital of malnourished children in Africa having beaten Sudan, a nation that is at war,” Atiku added.
He also criticized class-based disparities across sectors such as healthcare, education, and public services, pointing to recent policy changes he says disproportionately hurt the poor.
“Policy after policy under this administration has targeted the poor while providing relief and advantage to the rich. 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 said.
Specifically, he highlighted the 75% increase in fees by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and unaffordable tuition hikes at public universities.
Turning to Nigeria’s rising debt, Atiku accused the Tinubu administration of reckless borrowing.
“Even more troubling is the scale of borrowing under this government… In just two years, that figure has skyrocketed to N144 trillion — a 150% increase — with more foreign loans now being requested, which could push the debt to N183 trillion.”
“The implication is clear: the federal government, under Tinubu, is the primary driver of Nigeria’s current debt crisis.”
“President Tinubu’s justification — that new borrowing is needed to fund the 2025 budget and soften the impact of fuel subsidy removal — is both weak and dishonest. 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 added, “As opposition leaders and partners committed to the future of Nigeria, we will not stand by and watch democracy be reduced to a tool for elite control. We reject any attempt to turn Nigeria into a one-party state where dissent is silenced and power is abused.
“We are building a strong, united opposition coalition — one that will challenge the excesses of this administration, restore accountability, and return government to the people.
“We are here to rescue Nigeria. And we will not stop until that goal is achieved.”
