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Former Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Saturday dismissed President Bola Tinubu’s claim that the opposition is responsible for the country’s economic hardship, calling the assertion “delusional.”
The exchange follows Tinubu’s remarks earlier in the day at a campaign rally in Kaduna, where he accused his political opponents of creating hunger and poverty.
“Mr President, blaming the opposition for hunger is either delusion or a staggering case of political amnesia,” Atiku said in a statement issued by his campaign’s communications director, Phrank Shaibu.
“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.”
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 elections, challenged the administration’s economic record.
He cited the removal of the petrol subsidy, the naira’s depreciation from about 471 to 1,329 against the dollar, and a World Bank estimate that 63 percent of Nigerians will fall below the national poverty line in 2026.
He also raised questions about a 12.4 billion dollar gap flagged in the country’s external accounts and 22.5 million dollars in “other charges” on an Abu Dhabi financing facility, demanding to know who received the funds.
“Which administration is responsible for the killings, kidnappings and displacement that continue to terrorise communities?” Atiku asked.
“You cannot govern for three years, make life harder, and then blame others for describing the hardship.”
The former vice president stated that the 2027 election would serve as a referendum on Tinubu’s leadership.
“The people will judge your government by the lives they are living, not by the excuses you offer at campaign rallies,” he said.
