KADUNA: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has blamed opposition politicians for the hunger and poverty confronting Nigerians, insisting that his administration is working to eliminate the challenges. However, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has fired back, describing the president’s remarks as a “delusional, shameless attempt” to evade responsibility for the country’s economic hardship.
The exchange followed Tinubu’s formal launch of his 2027 presidential campaign at the All Progressives Congress (APC) rally held at Ranchers Bees Stadium, also known as Kaduna Township Stadium, on Saturday.
Addressing supporters, Tinubu challenged opposition politicians who have repeatedly criticised his administration over rising food prices, inflation and declining purchasing power.
“I have heard the opposition talking about hunger and poverty. Who caused them? They did! They caused hunger and poverty. We are trying to eliminate them,” the president said.
Tinubu also defended his administration’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of the petrol subsidy, insisting that Nigeria would not return to the previous system.
Be careful; watch them. Don’t let them lie to you. What is past is in the past,” he told supporters.
Fuel subsidy is in our past: no more corruption, no more falsification of invoices, no more lies, no more smuggling of fuel,” the president added.
His remarks come amid continuing public concerns over the cost of living, with economic hardship expected to be a major issue in the battle for votes ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Reacting through a statement by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku dismissed Tinubu’s claim that the opposition caused hunger and poverty in Nigeria.
The former vice president argued that the president should accept responsibility for the consequences of his administration’s policies rather than blame political opponents.
Atiku said a president could not introduce policies that worsen economic hardship and subsequently blame others for highlighting the consequences.
Mr President, blaming the opposition for hunger is either delusion or a staggering case of political amnesia,” Atiku said in the statement.
He argued that the APC had governed Nigeria for eight years before Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, insisting that Nigerians could identify the administrations responsible for the country’s current challenges.
The hardship your administration has brought upon Nigerians is real. You cannot deny it by blaming others, he said.
Atiku further challenged the president to explain what his government had done to improve living conditions, arguing that Nigerians were more concerned about the cost of food, transportation and other essential needs than political accusations.
The ADC presidential candidate listed several economic decisions and financial issues he said the Tinubu administration should explain to Nigerians.
Among the issues raised were the removal of the petrol subsidy, the depreciation of the naira, poverty projections, budget implementation and questions surrounding government expenditure.
Atiku questioned the administration’s handling of the foreign exchange market, citing the movement of the naira from approximately ₦471 to the dollar to about ₦1,329 to the dollar.
He also referred to a World Bank estimate, which he said projected that 63 per cent of Nigerians would be below the national poverty line in 2026.
The former vice president further raised questions about ₦7.13 trillion reportedly recorded under “energy security” in 2024, ₦11.2 trillion in NNPC pipeline-related spending, a $12.4 billion gap he said had been flagged in Nigeria’s external accounts for the first half of 2026, and $22.5 million in “other charges” associated with an Abu Dhabi financing facility.
Atiku also criticised the government’s handling of insecurity, citing killings, kidnappings and the displacement of residents in affected communities.
He maintained that the administration should provide explanations for these issues rather than blame opposition politicians for drawing attention to them.
“The people will judge your government by the lives they are living, not by the excuses you offer at campaign rallies,” he said.
The financial figures and allegations cited by Atiku represent claims contained in his response and were not independently established in the source report.
Since taking office in May 2023, Tinubu has introduced major economic reforms, including the removal of the petrol subsidy and changes to the foreign exchange regime.
The Federal Government has defended the measures as necessary to reduce public expenditure, address alleged corruption associated with the subsidy system and establish the foundation for long-term economic growth.
However, critics have continued to demand evidence that the savings and additional revenue generated by the reforms are translating into improved living conditions for ordinary Nigerians.
At the Kaduna rally, Tinubu also said salaries were being paid on time and praised APC governors for their development projects.
He thanked Kaduna residents for their support during the 2023 presidential election, saying their backing contributed to his emergence as president.
“You gave me the joy of remembering the victory you gave me to become president. I have returned to thank you once again,” he said.
The president appealed to Nigerians to give him another mandate in 2027, promising to continue pursuing his agenda of prosperity, development and national growth.
Vice President Kashim Shettima also defended Tinubu’s political relationship with Northern Nigeria, arguing that the president had supported politicians from the region over several election cycles.
Shettima cited Tinubu’s past alliances with Atiku Abubakar, former presidential candidate Nuhu Ribadu and the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to the vice president, Tinubu provided Atiku with political support and a platform to contest the presidency in 2007 after he left the Peoples Democratic Party.
Shettima also recalled Tinubu’s support for Ribadu’s presidential bid in 2011 and Buhari’s campaigns in 2015 and 2019.
The vice president’s remarks appeared aimed at reinforcing Tinubu’s political connections in the North as the APC seeks another presidential term.
The rally attracted several senior government officials and party leaders, including Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume, APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda and other political officeholders.
The Kaduna campaign rally also attracted controversy over a purported letter circulating on social media that alleged the state government had allocated and released ₦2.3 trillion to organise the event.
The Kaduna State Government dismissed the allegation, describing the purported letter, said to have been written by Governor Uba Sani to Abdulaziz Yari, Director-General of the Tinubu Presidential Campaign Council, as fake.
Kaduna State Commissioner for Information and Culture Ahmed Maiyaki said the governor did not write the letter and had not authorised the alleged release of funds.
The government further pointed to the state’s 2026 budget of ₦985.92 billion, which is substantially below the ₦2.3 trillion figure claimed in the circulating document.
The APC Presidential Campaign Council also rejected the allegation, describing it as fabricated information intended to discredit Tinubu, Governor Sani and other party leaders.
Campaign spokesperson Dele Alake accused Atiku and the ADC of involvement in circulating the alleged misinformation, a claim the ADC denied.
The allegation over the rally’s funding therefore remains disputed, with the state government and APC campaign council rejecting the purported document.
Atiku further criticised Tinubu over the reported commissioning of the unfinished Abuja-Kaduna Expressway from the venue of the APC rally.
He argued that a road project could not be considered completed simply because a commissioning speech had been delivered.
A road cannot be completed with a speech or a ribbon cutting ceremony,” Atiku said.
The former vice president maintained that the 2027 presidential election would provide Nigerians with an opportunity to judge Tinubu’s record in office.
The 2027 presidential election will be a referendum on your record,” he said in the statement issued by the ADC campaign council.
The exchange signals an intensifying political contest as Tinubu seeks re-election under the APC banner while Atiku and other opposition figures prepare to challenge the ruling party.
With hunger, inflation, currency depreciation, insecurity and the impact of economic reforms remaining central to public debate, the management of Nigeria’s economy is likely to be a major battleground in the run-up to the 2027 general elections.
