Kaduna rally: Atiku challenges Tinubu over hunger, hardship

By Luminous Jannamike

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has challenged President Bola Tinubu to explain what his administration has done to end hunger and poverty, following the President’s claim that the opposition created the problems.

Atiku said Nigerians were more concerned about the government’s record than its attempts to shift responsibility, insisting that the 2027 presidential election would put Tinubu’s handling of the economy and security under scrutiny.

In a statement on Saturday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku accused the President of blaming his political opponents for hardship that had worsened under his watch.

“Mr President, blaming the opposition for hunger is either delusion or a staggering case of political amnesia. 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, and hardship did not begin when the opposition started talking about it. Stop insulting their intelligence and answer for your record,” Atiku said.

On the economy, the ADC candidate challenged Tinubu to account for the consequences of petrol subsidy removal, the naira’s depreciation and rising poverty.

“Which administration removed the petrol subsidy and watched the naira fall from about ₦471 to ₦1,329 to the dollar?” he asked.

Atiku also questioned the government’s handling of public finances and the country’s poverty levels.

“Which administration has presided over a rise in poverty that led the World Bank to estimate that 63 per cent of Nigerians will be below the national poverty line in 2026? Which administration extended the 2024 budget into 2025 while also operating a separate 2025 budget?” he asked.

He further demanded explanations for what he described as questionable public spending, citing energy security expenditure, NNPC pipeline-related spending and charges associated with an Abu Dhabi financing facility.

“Which administration recorded ₦7.13 trillion under ‘energy security’ in 2024 and faces questions over ₦11.2 trillion in NNPC pipeline related spending? Nigerians deserve to know who received these sums and what was delivered,” Atiku said.

He also questioned the country’s external accounts and the charges associated with the financing facility.

“Which administration must explain the $12.4 billion gap flagged in Nigeria’s external accounts for the first half of 2026? Which administration paid $22.5 million in ‘other charges’ on the Abu Dhabi financing facility?” he asked.

On security, Atiku faulted the administration over persistent killings, kidnappings and displacement, demanding answers from the government.

“Which administration is responsible for the killings, kidnappings and displacement that continue to terrorise communities? These are the questions Nigerians are asking while your government blames the opposition,” he said.

Atiku also criticised Tinubu’s commissioning of the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway from inside a stadium, arguing that the ceremony did not establish that the project had been completed.

“Your decision to commission the unfinished Abuja to Kaduna Expressway from inside a stadium shows how far removed you are from the daily reality of Nigerians. A road cannot be completed with a speech or a ribbon-cutting ceremony,” he said.

Returning to the central issue, Atiku said the government could not avoid accountability by blaming political opponents for describing the hardship Nigerians were experiencing.

“You cannot govern for three years, make life harder, and then blame others for describing the hardship. You asked who created the hunger. Nigerians are asking what you have done to end it,” he said.

He said the 2027 presidential election would test Tinubu’s record against the experiences of Nigerians.

“The people will judge your government by the lives they are living, not by the excuses you offer at campaign rallies.

“The 2027 presidential election will be a referendum on your record. Nigerians have felt the cost of your leadership in their homes, markets and communities. Their verdict is already clear: they have rejected your administration,” he added.

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