•You cannot deny the hardship you created by blaming others — Atiku
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has blamed African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential candidate and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar for allegedly creating Nigeria’s poverty while promising a prosperous second term dedicated to eradicating hardship.
Addressing a massive crowd of party faithful, governors, and top government officials on Saturday as he launched his 2027 presidential campaign, President Tinubu placed the blame for Nigeria’s current economic struggles squarely on the shoulders of past political actors.
Accusing critics of weaponizing poverty and hunger for political mileage, the President challenged their rhetoric, stating that those who currently criticize the administration are the very architects of the nation’s historical economic woes.
“I hear my opponents talking about hunger and poverty. Who created it? They did. They created the hunger; they created the poverty. We are trying to eradicate it,” President Tinubu declared.
His jibe was apparently directed at the ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who served as vice-president between 1999 and 2007, during which many State-run businesses were privatised without paying the gratuities and pensions of thousands of laid-off workers. Tinubu’s administration has been paying those workers.
The President also promised Nigerians sustained prosperity and stability if granted a second term.
At the rally, President Tinubu also inaugurated the 81-kilometre section of the Kaduna-Abuja highway with a symbolic ribbon-cutting.
The President recalled Kaduna’s historical significance as the city of leaders and the political headquarters of the northern region, adding that his administration has been working to eradicate poverty in the country.
President Tinubu thanked the people of Kaduna State for trusting him with their mandate in the 2023 elections and urged them to vote for him again, citing his record of achievements and investments in critical economic infrastructure in Kaduna State and the entire Northern region.
Replying the President’s accusation, Former Vice President and ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar urged the President not to pass blame for the hardship his administration allegedly created.
In a statement issued by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku said:
“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.”
“The hardship your administration has brought upon Nigerians is real. You cannot deny it by blaming others.”
“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.”
“Which administration removed the petrol subsidy and watched the naira fall from about ₦471 to ₦1,329 to the dollar?”
“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?”
“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.”
“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?”
“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.”
“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.”
“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,” the statement read.
