The African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has described President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies as a failure, saying Nigerians are struggling to cope with the rising cost of living.
Atiku said Nigerians could no longer feed their children with government revenue announcements, while workers could not afford transport fares.
In a statement signed by the Director of Strategic Communications of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the contradiction was reflected in assessments by international institutions.
He said, “In June 2026, the IMF said reforms had improved Nigeria’s macroeconomic outcomes, but also acknowledged that conditions remained difficult for many Nigerians, estimating poverty at 63 per cent under the national poverty line and saying 27 million Nigerians had faced food insecurity in the latter part of 2025.
“It warned that higher fuel, food and transport costs could worsen poverty and food insecurity.
“Recent fuel-price pressures have further intensified the squeeze on household budgets, with petrol selling at around N1,400 per litre in Lagos and Abuja and as high as N1,500 in parts of northern Nigeria in September, while diesel exceeded N2,000 per litre.
“The philosophy of an economic reform cannot be that the poor surrender more and more while those already insulated from hardship become increasingly comfortable. Nigerians were promised that today’s pain would produce tomorrow’s gain. After more than three years, they are entitled to ask: gain for whom?
“A mother cannot feed her children with a government revenue announcement. A worker cannot pay transport fare with a speech about reform. Nigerians do not eat GDP figures, FAAC allocations or PowerPoint presentations. The numbers must eventually arrive at the dinner table.”
2027: Apologise to Nigerians for hardship, account for loans – Atiku to Tinubu, APC