Tinubu’s independence address: Atiku Knocks Tinubu’s ‘Age of Prosperity’ claim

• Says Nigerians can barely afford to live

• Tasks voters to scrutinize all presidential candidates

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

Former Vice President and Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has faulted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s claim that Nigeria has entered an “age of prosperity”, declaring, rather, that millions of Nigerians are still struggling to afford food, transportation, healthcare and other basic necessities.

This is as spoke on the issue of voting ahead of the 2027 election, tasking citizens to scrutinise the plans of all presidential candidates, including himself, and demand measurable commitments.

“The coming election offers us a peaceful way to choose our course,” he said, urging Nigerians to protect their votes and reject intimidation.

He also rejected Tinubu’s description of the economic reforms as a difficult journey that Nigerians had undertaken togethe

Atiku said this on Thursday while speaking a press conference in Abuja.

The former Vice President, said at his Independence Day address to Nigerians, that the economic reforms of the Tinubu administration had imposed severe hardship on households, arguing that falling inflation or economic growth figures did not necessarily mean that Nigerians were better off.

According to him, “A President may announce a new chapter in a speech. He cannot announce food onto a family’s table or money into a worker’s pocket.”

Atiku disagreed, sharply, with Tinubu’s claim that his administration’s economic reforms had moved the country beyond an “emergency treatment”, asking: “Bola, where is this prosperity?”

The real measure of economic recovery, Atiku pointed out, should be what Nigerians can afford at the market, filling station, hospital and workplace rather than government statistics alone.

He cited the rise in the cost of petrol and basic food items to illustrate his argument, saying a N30,000 minimum wage in April 2023 could purchase about 118 litres of petrol, while the N70,000 minimum wage introduced under the Tinubu administration could purchase only about 50 litres.

The ADC presidential candidate further cited increases in the prices of eggs and bread, saying an egg that cost about N88 in April 2023 had risen to about N261 by May 2026, while the price of a loaf of bread had risen from about N500 to approximately N2,000 over the same period.

Atiku argued that such increases had significantly weakened household purchasing power despite the increase in the nominal minimum wage.

He similarly criticised the removal of fuel subsidy, saying the policy was implemented without adequate protection for households against its immediate effects on transportation, food prices and other costs.

Atiku proposed what he described as a “capped, budgeted production subsidy” tied to verified fuel refined in Nigeria, including fuel from modular refineries.

Under the proposal, imported petrol would not qualify, while the subsidy would be designed to translate into lower pump prices for consumers.

“We will publish the costs, independently audit the payments and cut government waste to help fund the programme,” Atiku said.

He maintained that the principle behind the proposal was to encourage domestic production and refining while reducing the cost of petrol to consumers.

“Produce here, refine here, create jobs here and pay less here,” he said.

The former vice president also challenged the Tinubu administration to account for the savings from the removal of the petrol subsidy and demonstrate how Nigerians had benefited from them.

On the issue of security, Atiku said the country was also facing a serious crisis, with armed groups killing citizens, displacing communities and disrupting farming and education.

He said farmers should be able to access their farms safely, parents should not fear for their children and Nigerians should not live under the threat of kidnapping and ransom demands.

“A government that cannot make life affordable and cannot protect life has failed the two tests that matter most to its people,” he said.

Atiku further questioned the administration’s reliance on loans, citing Nigeria’s public debt of N166.79 trillion as of June 2026 and the proposed $1.5 billion World Bank facility.

He called on the government to disclose what previous borrowings had delivered before contracting additional loans in the name of Nigerians.

His words, “Before you borrow another dollar in the people’s name, tell them what the money already borrowed has delivered. Name the projects. Show what they cost, who benefited and who was paid”.

The ADC presidential flag bearer also criticised the government’s cash transfer programme, referring to a claim by APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, that more than 10 million Nigerians had received N75,000 each.

Atiku said the figure would amount to at least N750 billion and demanded an auditable account of how the beneficiaries were identified and paid.

He tasked the government to provide evidence of the transactions without exposing the identities of vulnerable beneficiaries.

Atiku also referred to the recent stampede at the Niger State Government House in which three people reportedly died amid reports that N10,000 would be distributed, saying the incident illustrated the level of economic desperation in the country.

He mourned the victims and renewed his call for an investigation into how the gathering was organised.

On the issue of transportation, Atiku challenged Tinubu over his promise that transport fares would be reduced from October 1.

“Today (yesterday) is October 1. Did your promise miss the bus?” he asked, demanding that the government publish the routes, fares and number of Nigerians benefiting from the reduction.

Atiku said while any reduction in fares would be welcomed, cheaper transportation on selected routes would not resolve the wider transportation crisis confronting Nigerians.

He equally also criticised the administration’s student loan and consumer credit initiatives, arguing that access to loans did not necessarily amount to affordability when education costs and other household expenses were rising.

On government budgeting, the ADC candidate questioned the continued implementation of the 2025 budget alongside the 2026 budget, saying Nigerians deserved greater clarity on what had been funded, completed or left outstanding.

He also raised questions over the award of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway contract to Hitech, a company linked to the Chagoury Group.

Looking ahead to 2027, Atiku said an administration under his leadership would make affordability and security central to government policy.

He promised measures aimed at reducing the cost of food, fuel and electricity, improving access to healthcare and education, strengthening security and increasing transparency in public spending.

The ADC presidential candidate also made electoral reform a central part of his Independence Day message, promising to respect the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), support prompt publication of polling-unit results and ensure that those involved in vote buying or electoral manipulation face the law regardless of political affiliation.

He also called for the rule of law in cases involving detained political figures, including former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and Sheikh Sani Khalifa Zaria.

Atiku renewed his call for the release of five Nigerians reportedly arrested in Borno State over T-shirts bearing the words “Tinubu Must Go”, arguing that political expression should not become a basis for imprisonment.

He stated that the right to lawful appeal should be respected following the conviction of Nnamdi Kanu, while urging authorities to address the grievances surrounding the case.

Speaking on the issue of voting ahead of the 2027 election, Atiku urged citizens to scrutinise the plans of all presidential candidates, including himself, and demand measurable commitments.

“The coming election offers us a peaceful way to choose our course,” he said, urging Nigerians to protect their votes and reject intimidation.

He also rejected Tinubu’s description of the economic reforms as a difficult journey that Nigerians had undertaken together.

“No, Bola! You made the decisions alone, not with Nigerians. The people have only paid the price for your reckless decisions,” he said.

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