Atiku: Tinubu’s policies favour the rich, punish poor Nigerians

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has accused the President Bola Tinubu administration of favouring the wealthy while subjecting poor Nigerians to hardship.

In a statement assessing Tinubu’s two years in office, Abubakar said the current administration is “one of the most incompetent, disconnected, and anti-people governments” in Nigeria’s democratic history.

Abubakar said no previous administration has “inflicted this level of hardship” on the masses while disregarding transparency, accountability, and responsible leadership.

“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.”

Abubakar added that beyond being the poverty capital of the world, Nigeria has, under the current administration, taken the unenviable position of having the highest number of malnourished children in Africa, surpassing even war-torn Sudan.

He cited the 2024 Global Hunger Index, which ranks Nigeria 18th among countries most 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.”

The former vice-president said the hike in fees by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and public universities are among the policies that directly target and burden the poor.

Abubakar also condemned Tinubu’s planned new borrowings as “troubling”.

He claimed that when Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, Nigeria’s total public debt stood at approximately N49 trillion, but in two years, that figure had risen to N144 trillion — a 150 percent increase.

He said with more foreign loans being requested, Nigeria’s debt could skyrocket to N183 trillion.

The politician said Tinubu’s justification that new borrowing is needed to fund the 2025 budget and soften the impact of fuel subsidy removal is “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 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.”

Abubakar added that opposition leaders will reject any attempt to turn Nigeria into a one-party state where “dissent is silenced and power is abused”.