By Taiwo Scholarstica and Precious Mark
Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, alongside the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Peter Obi, have criticized the Federal Government following its decision to suspend the proposed increase in registration fees for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO).
Both Presidential candidates described the sudden policy reversal as glaring evidence of weak planning and a lack of empathy for the economic hardships currently facing Nigerian families.
Reacting to the suspension in a statement issued on Monday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku Abubakar welcomed the halt but maintained that the policy should never have been introduced without extensive stakeholder consultation.
He argued that education must remain an accessible ladder out of poverty rather than a luxury reserved exclusively for the privileged.
While praising the parents, teachers, labor unions, and student organizations whose fierce opposition forced the government’s hand, Atiku questioned why the current administration frequently resorts to a pattern of introducing reckless policies only to back down after public outrage.
Describing governance as an arena that demands evidence-based policymaking rather than a laboratory for trial-and-error experimentation, the ADC candidate warned that the proposed hike would have placed unbearable financial pressure on households already battling high inflation, rising electricity tariffs, and dwindling purchasing power.
He subsequently urged the Federal Government to collaborate with key education stakeholders to design a sustainable funding model for WAEC and NECO that does not transfer financial burdens onto struggling citizens.
Echoing similar sentiments, the NDC presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, characterized the policy suspension as a significant victory for the Nigerian masses, though he criticized the initial introduction of the fee hike as an entirely unnecessary burden during a period of severe economic national distress.
The former Anambra State governor emphasized that access to basic education should be actively expanded rather than restricted, insisting that the state has a fundamental duty to treat education as a public good instead of a channel for generating government revenue.
Obi warned that erecting financial barriers at the basic education level risks swelling the already high numbers of out-of-school children across Nigeria, thereby jeopardizing the country’s long-term developmental prospects.
While commending the authorities for showing the humility required to reverse an unpopular decision, Obi urged the administration to look inward and reconsider other current economic policies that continue to strain the populace.
He concluded by thanking the collective advocacy of citizens, parents, and civil society groups whose unified voices ultimately secured the policy reversal, reiterating his core belief that a new Nigeria remains possible.