Atiku Challenges Tinubu’s Prosperity Claim, Laments Rising Hardship

Former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has challenged President Bola Tinubu’s declaration that Nigeria has entered an “age of prosperity,” arguing that millions of Nigerians are still struggling with rising living costs.

Atiku made the remarks on Thursday in Abuja during his Independence Day address, hours after Tinubu told Nigerians that his administration’s economic reforms had corrected the country’s economic direction and created the foundation for shared and widespread prosperity.

Tinubu said Nigeria’s economy had grown by more than four per cent in 2026, while inflation had fallen substantially from its peak, foreign reserves had been rebuilt and the foreign exchange market had stabilised.

However, Atiku argued that economic growth figures would have limited meaning for citizens if they were not reflected in their daily lives.

He questioned where the prosperity promised by the President could be found when households were struggling to afford food, healthcare, transportation and other basic necessities.

Atiku also criticised the removal of the petrol subsidy, taxation and other economic measures implemented by the Tinubu administration, arguing that they had increased pressure on households and businesses.

He said a slower rate of price increases did not necessarily mean that families had recovered purchasing power lost during the period of high inflation.

The former Vice-President also questioned the benefits Nigerians had received from the government’s reforms, particularly in relation to fuel prices and transportation costs.

He proposed a capped and budgeted production subsidy for petrol refined in Nigeria, including fuel produced by modular refineries. According to him, imported petrol would not qualify for the proposed subsidy, while the programme would be subject to independent auditing.

Atiku also called for greater transparency in government spending, infrastructure contracts, budgets and social intervention programmes. He argued that Nigerians should be able to determine what had been funded, what had been completed and who had benefited from government programmes.

On insecurity, he said Nigerians continued to face threats from armed groups, while farmers, families and communities remained concerned about attacks, displacement and kidnapping.

Atiku said economic recovery should ultimately be measured by improvements in living conditions, affordability and security.

He urged the Federal Government to demonstrate how its economic reforms were translating into tangible relief for Nigerians, particularly through lower food, fuel, transportation and electricity costs.

Atiku’s address presented a contrasting assessment of the administration’s economic reforms, with Tinubu maintaining that the measures had stabilised the economy and created conditions for sustained growth, while Atiku argued that many Nigerians were yet to experience corresponding improvements in their standard of living.