Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic policies, saying millions of Nigerians are struggling to afford basic necessities.
Atiku, through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said the major issue confronting Nigerians was not political rivalry but the worsening cost of living.
Shaibu made the remarks in a statement titled “Tinubu, the Issue Is Not Atiku — It Is Why Nigerians Can No Longer Afford to Live,” following President Tinubu’s recent criticism of opposition economic proposals.
According to him, Nigerians are dealing with rising costs of food, transportation, education, healthcare and energy, while many workers struggle to meet their daily needs.
He argued that economic policies should be measured by their impact on ordinary citizens and their ability to afford basic necessities.
Shaibu questioned the Federal Government’s recent promise to introduce cheaper transportation, increase food production and provide relief for vulnerable Nigerians.
He asked why such measures were becoming a priority after years of rising inflation and declining purchasing power.
The Atiku camp also defended the former vice president’s proposal for reducing energy costs, arguing that cheaper fuel could help lower transportation and production expenses.
Shaibu explained that transportation costs affect the movement of agricultural products and manufactured goods, ultimately influencing prices paid by consumers.
He said Atiku’s proposed Economic Recovery Plan would seek to reduce energy costs through targeted support for domestic refining under a controlled and transparent framework.
The former vice president’s camp also questioned the government’s management of funds generated following the removal of the petrol subsidy.
Shaibu argued that Nigerians who have endured higher transportation and food costs deserve greater transparency regarding the financial benefits of the policy.
He further criticised the use of student loans as a major response to rising education costs, arguing that government should focus on making education more affordable rather than increasing the financial burden on students.
The comments come amid an increasingly heated political debate ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with economic hardship expected to remain one of the major issues in the campaign.
Atiku’s camp has continued to challenge the Tinubu administration over the cost of living, while the Federal Government maintains that its economic reforms are necessary to strengthen the Nigerian economy.
The disagreement between both camps is expected to intensify as political parties and presidential candidates prepare their campaigns and present competing economic programmes to voters.
For Atiku, the priority should be policies that reduce the cost of living and improve the purchasing power of ordinary Nigerians.
The former vice president’s latest criticism therefore places economic affordability at the centre of his campaign message as Nigeria moves closer to the 2027 general elections.
