Kehinde Fajobi
Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar criticised President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies on Monday, accusing him of failing Nigerians with governance decisions that are causing widespread suffering.
In a statement released by his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku stated that instead of addressing the nation’s issues, Tinubu’s administration is “preoccupied with verbally assaulting” opposition figures like himself and Peter Obi.
Shaibu called Tinubu’s recent responses “inelegant and insipid” following accusations from Tinubu’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, who claimed Atiku was “jealous” over his 2023 electoral loss.
“Jealous of Tinubu inflicting pain on Nigerians? Hell no, wickedness is an exclusive preserve of T-Pain,” Atiku responded through Shaibu.
Highlighting Tinubu’s policy failures, Atiku pointed to the July 2024 promise to waive import duties on essential goods.
“Over 120 days later, the policy is yet to take off,” Atiku stated, adding that the delay has worsened conditions for Nigerians, with food inflation climbing to over 40%, the highest in decades.
“The brazen disobedience to a government policy by Tinubu’s appointees, and the finance ministry’s failure to issue a gazette after over four months, reflects the fatuousness, inanity, and incompetence that characterizes the Tinubu administration,” he said.
Atiku argued that Tinubu’s 18 months in office have exposed him as unprepared, pointing to abrupt policy shifts and economic instability.
“Tinubu was obviously unprepared for office. He acts first and thinks of the consequences afterwards,” he remarked, adding that the sudden removal of the petrol subsidy without alternatives triggered price increases in essential goods.
“After seeing the effect, he then hurriedly decided to push a CNG initiative, which even he and his ministers have not embraced, hence their refusal to use it.”
Atiku criticised the administration’s failure to advance the CNG initiative due to insufficient infrastructure, noting that transport and food prices continue to rise as a result.
He also took issue with Tinubu’s exchange rate projections, labelling them unrealistic.
“Rather than sack his economic advisers, he continues to live in a fool’s paradise, deceiving Nigerians about the FX reserve of $40bn when, in fact, the net reserves are less than 20% of that,” Atiku claimed, challenging the Central Bank to publish its 2023 financial statements if Tinubu is confident in his achievements.