Atiku Blasts Tinubu’s Policies, Urges Focus on Governance, Not Opposition
ABUJA/Nigeria: Former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has lambasted President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies and approach to governance, accusing him of causing untold hardship to Nigerians. Atiku, through a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, urged Tinubu to prioritise addressing the nation’s challenges rather than launching attacks on opposition figures who are not in power.
In a scathing response to what he termed an “inelegant and insipid” statement from the Presidency, Atiku highlighted the failure of Tinubu’s administration to implement critical economic policies. He referenced the President’s July 8, 2024, announcement of a temporary suspension of import duties on essential goods, noting that over 120 days later, the policy remains unimplemented.
“Nigerians continue to die daily due to skyrocketing costs, including food inflation, which now exceeds 40%—the highest in decades,” Atiku said. “The brazen disobedience to a government policy by Tinubu’s appointees and the finance ministry’s failure to issue a gazette after four months reflect the incompetence that defines this administration.”
The former Vice President criticised Tinubu for prioritising verbal attacks on himself and Labour Party leader Peter Obi over governance. “Rather than focus on the urgent needs of Nigerians, Tinubu’s government is preoccupied with using compromised courts to create chaos within the opposition. What a shame!” he declared.
Atiku further described Tinubu’s performance over the past 18 months as abysmal, attributing it to a lack of preparedness for office. He pointed to policy inconsistencies, such as the abrupt removal of the petrol subsidy without necessary safeguards, which led to skyrocketing costs and a haphazardly introduced Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative that has yet to take off due to inadequate infrastructure.
“Tinubu acts first and thinks later,” Atiku said. “Even he and his ministers have not embraced the CNG initiative, which is why they refuse to use it. Transport costs continue to soar alongside food prices, leaving Nigerians in dire straits.”
Atiku also criticised the government’s economic projections, calling them unrealistic. “In his mid-term expenditure framework, Tinubu projected an exchange rate of ₦700/$1 in 2024 and ₦650/$1 by 2025. Yet, rather than reassess his economic team, he persists in deceiving Nigerians about phantom foreign reserves. Let the Central Bank of Nigeria release its 2023 financial statements if these claims are credible.”
Turning to security, Atiku expressed concern over the emergence of a new terror organisation, Lakurawa, as announced by military authorities. He urged Tinubu to prioritise national security, arguing that instability deters investment and economic growth.
“It is troubling that Tinubu has politicised security by appointing his kinsmen to key positions across security and economic sectors. Even President Muhammadu Buhari was not this blatant. Unlike Tinubu, Atiku is not a bigot and has no record of drug-related allegations,” he remarked.
Atiku criticised the President’s decision to allocate over $13 billion to the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project, which has displaced numerous Lagos residents, while other critical needs remain underfunded. He described the move as prioritising personal interests over national wellbeing.
Urging the President to focus on improving the lives of Nigerians, Atiku said, “Tinubu has barely two years left in office. Nigerians are tired of his administration’s ineptitude. It is absurd to suggest that Atiku is jealous of Tinubu. No compassionate leader envies the pain Tinubu inflicts on Nigerians. Wickedness is Tinubu’s exclusive preserve.”
Reflecting on the current state of the nation, Atiku noted the worsening economic conditions, including the naira’s decline as Africa’s worst-performing currency and Nigeria’s fall to the fifth-largest economy on the continent. He warned against pushing citizens to the brink, citing recent protests where frustrated Nigerians waved Russian flags and called for military intervention.
“God forbid we return to the dark days of military rule, but leaders must not push citizens to the point where they see fire as preferable to the frying pan. Nigeria’s plight under Tinubu’s leadership should be his greatest concern, not fiddling while the country burns,” he concluded.
