Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has launched a scathing critique of President Bola Tinubu’s government, calling it “incompetent, disconnected, and anti-people“, and accusing it of causing unprecedented hardship in Nigeria’s democratic history.
In a personally signed statement on Wednesday, Atiku, the 2023 PDP presidential candidate and current leader of a growing opposition coalition, declared that no previous government had inflicted such “mass suffering” while disregarding transparency, accountability, and responsible leadership.
“This administration has not only deepened poverty across Nigeria, it has also broken records in wasteful public spending,” Atiku said.
Atiku decried that while millions of Nigerians struggle to survive, Tinubu’s officials are approving elite-focused budgets and living in “excess.”
Citing the 2024 Global Hunger Index, he said Nigeria now ranks 18th globally for hunger and has become Africa’s capital of malnourished children, surpassing even war-torn Sudan.
Atiku said policy after policy under Tinubu had favoured the rich — from healthcare and education to identity services, the system now rewards the elite while leaving the poor behind.
He condemned the 75% hike in National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) fees and the introduction of VIP services, calling it a violation of citizenship rights.
Atiku highlighted a troubling jump in Nigeria’s public debt from N49 trillion in 2023 to N144 trillion, with new foreign loans potentially pushing it to N183 trillion — a 150% increase in two years. Meanwhile, he noted, state governments have shown more restraint.
Atiku described the subsidy removal as “reckless and insensitive,” arguing that it triggered the very economic hardship Tinubu now claims he wants to mitigate with more loans.
Atiku accused the APC of trying to turn Nigeria into a one-party state, silencing dissent and concentrating power. He emphasized that the opposition would not remain passive.
He added: “We are building a strong, united opposition coalition to 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.”
