Atiku Criticises Tinubu Administration Over Kanu, El-Rufai and Cost of Living
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to address the grievances surrounding the case of convicted Biafra agitator, Nnamdi Kanu, and explain the continued detention of Sheikh Sani Khalifa Zaria and Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), also challenged the Federal Government to account for cash transfers reportedly made to millions of Nigerians, explain the country’s rising debt and address the hardship facing citizens. NigerianPolitics Podcast
It was reported that the former vice president made the demands on Thursday in Abuja during his address to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary.
He also criticised the Tinubu administration over the cost of living, insecurity, unpaid workers’ entitlements and the handling of public funds, arguing that many Nigerians had yet to experience the prosperity promised by the government.
Atiku called on the Tinubu administration to ensure that the rule of law was applied fairly, raising concerns about the continued detention of Sheikh Sani Khalifa Zaria and Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai.
He said the authorities needed to provide explanations concerning their detention and address questions about due process.
According to him, “On this day, I call for the rule of law to be applied fairly in every case. The continued detention of Sheikh Sani Khalifa Zaria and Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai raises questions about due process that the authorities must answer.”
On Kanu, the leader of the ADC said his conviction should not prevent him from exercising his legal right to appeal.
He added that the grievances and divisions surrounding the case should be addressed seriously.
Atiku also renewed his call for the release of five young Nigerians reportedly arrested in Borno State for wearing T-shirts bearing the slogan, ‘Tinubu Must Go.’
He said political expression should not be treated as a crime.
“A political slogan on a shirt must never become a reason to imprison a Nigerian,” he stated.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s 66 years of independence, Atiku said the country had moved away from the vision of its founding fathers. NigerianPolitics Podcast
He accused the Tinubu administration of worsening the economic difficulties facing Nigerians over the past three years, saying many households were struggling to afford food, healthcare and other basic needs.
According to him, families were being forced to skip meals, delay medical treatment and borrow money to survive until their next payday.
Atiku also questioned the President’s declaration that the period of emergency treatment for the economy was over and that an age of prosperity had begun.
He argued that speeches and promises could not replace improvements in the daily lives of Nigerians.
“A president may announce a new chapter in a speech. He cannot put food onto a family’s table or money into a worker’s pocket,” he said.
Atiku also criticised the decision to extend the implementation of the 2025 budget until the end of 2026, arguing that Nigerians deserved clear information about government spending and the progress of projects.
He questioned how the government intended to account for the implementation of different budgets running across successive years.
He said, “You have just signed an extension keeping the 2025 budget in operation until the last day of 2026. The 2026 budget exists alongside it. Soon, your government will ask Nigerians to examine a 2027 budget.
“How many budgets must be open at once before you can tell the country what was funded, what was completed and what remains unpaid?”
The former vice president maintained that budgets should serve as clear plans for delivering projects and services rather than being repeatedly carried over from one year to another.
The ADC presidential candidate also challenged the Federal Government to provide details of the cash transfers reportedly made to more than 10 million Nigerians.
Atiku referred to a claim by the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, that more than 10 million beneficiaries received ₦75,000 each, amounting to at least ₦750 billion.
He questioned how the beneficiaries were identified and paid, particularly in parts of Borno and Yobe states where insecurity could make access to some communities difficult.
Atiku said the government should publish records showing how the money was distributed and provide evidence of the payments.
He stated, “Professor Yilwatda says many beneficiaries have no phones. So how did your government identify, contact and pay them, particularly in parts of Yobe and Borno where insecurity makes access difficult?
“Did officials deliver the money by hand? If so, who delivered it, and where are the receipts? If it went into bank accounts, show the transaction records. If you could find ten million people to pay, you can account for the payments.”
Atiku also used the prices of petrol and basic food items to explain the pressure facing Nigerian households. NigerianPolitics Podcast
He compared the purchasing power of the minimum wage in April 2023 with its value under the current administration.
According to him, the ₦30,000 minimum wage in April 2023 could buy about 118 litres of petrol, while the ₦70,000 minimum wage could buy only about 50 litres at the prices he cited.
He argued that although the minimum wage had increased in naira terms, the quantity of petrol workers could afford had dropped sharply.
Atiku also claimed that the average price of an egg rose from about ₦88 in April 2023 to ₦261 in May 2026.
He added that a loaf of bread that cost about ₦500 in April 2023 had risen to around ₦2,000 for a smaller loaf by May 2026.
Questioning the government’s economic policies, he asked, “If 2023 was the illness, why does your ‘cure’ buy less fuel, fewer eggs and a smaller loaf of bread?”
On the removal of the petrol subsidy, Atiku accused Tinubu of ending the policy without putting sufficient measures in place to protect households from the resulting increase in living costs.
He said that if elected president, he would introduce a limited and budgeted subsidy for petrol refined in Nigeria, including fuel produced by modular refineries.
Atiku explained that imported petrol would not qualify for the proposed programme, adding that the benefits should reach consumers through lower pump prices.
He also promised to publish the programme’s costs, subject payments to independent audits and reduce government waste to help fund the initiative.
The ADC candidate further questioned the President’s promise to Nigerians that transport fares would be reduced from October 1.
Marking the date, Atiku asked, “Before I forget, you promised Nigerians lower transport fares from October 1. Today is October 1. Did your promise miss the bus?”
Atiku Questions Nigeria’s Debt, World Bank Loans
The former vice president also raised concerns about Nigeria’s public debt, citing a figure of ₦166.79 trillion as of the end of June. NigerianPolitics Podcast
He questioned the government’s reported discussions over another $1.5 billion in World Bank loans, insisting that Nigerians deserved to know what previous borrowings had achieved before the country took on additional debt.
Read Also: Media Must Strengthen Fact-Based Public Dialogue — Minister
Atiku said, “Before you borrow another dollar in the people’s name, tell them what the money already borrowed has delivered.”
He also raised concerns about the award of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway contract to Hitech, a company associated with the Chagoury Group.
Atiku alleged that the contract was awarded without an open public tender and called on the government to publish documents relating to the procurement process.
He asked the administration to release the invitations to bid, submitted bids, evaluation reports, final contract and any subsequent changes to the agreement.
According to him, making the documents public would allow Nigerians to understand how the major infrastructure contract was awarded.
Atiku also accused the government of failing to settle outstanding payments owed to local contractors who had completed public projects.
He said military pensioners and federal workers had also raised concerns about unpaid entitlements and delayed salaries.
The ADC candidate called on the government to settle the outstanding obligations and publish details of what remained unpaid.
“Pay the outstanding entitlements, publish what remains unpaid, and stop claiming that everyone has been paid in full,” he said.
Turning to insecurity, Atiku argued that protecting lives and making basic necessities affordable were among the most important responsibilities of any government.
He said, “A government that cannot make life affordable and cannot protect life has failed the two tests that matter most to its people.”
He also referred to the deaths of three people in a stampede at the Niger State Government House, where a crowd had gathered amid reports that ₦10,000 would be distributed.
Atiku called for a full explanation of how the gathering was organised and the circumstances that led to the deaths.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general election, Atiku pledged that an administration under his leadership would respect the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He said he would support the prompt publication of results from every polling unit and ensure that anyone caught buying votes or manipulating election results faced the law, regardless of party affiliation.
The former vice president maintained that Nigerians should be able to exercise their voting rights without depending on influential individuals to have their votes counted. NigerianPolitics Podcast
He said, “Your vote must count as you cast it. You should not need powerful friends to make it count.”
Atiku concluded by calling on Nigerians to work together through peaceful political participation, declaring, “We have chosen a different course, peacefully and together, through the power of our votes; the message is clear: Tinubu must go.”
