Blaming Opposition for Hunger Is Delusional — Atiku

Blaming Opposition for Hunger Is Delusional — Atiku

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has described President Bola Tinubu’s claim that the opposition created hunger and poverty as delusional.Tinubu made the remark on Saturday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign flag-off in Kaduna, saying: “I hear my opponent talking about hunger, poverty. Who created it? They did! They created the hunger, they created the poverty. We are trying to eradicate it.”In a statement issued by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku responded: “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.”Atiku also criticised the President’s decision to commission the unfinished Abuja-Kaduna Expressway from inside a stadium, saying it showed how removed the administration was from the daily realities of Nigerians.He questioned the impact of key economic policies, asking: “Which administration removed the petrol subsidy and watched the naira fall from about ₦471 to ₦1,329 to the dollar?” He cited a World Bank estimate that 63 per cent of Nigerians would live below the national poverty line in 2026.Atiku further raised concerns about federal budgeting, including the extension of the 2024 budget into 2025, ₦7.13 trillion recorded under “energy security” in 2024, ₦11.2 trillion in NNPC pipeline-related spending, a $12.4 billion gap in external accounts for the first half of 2026, and $22.5 million in “other charges” on an Abu Dhabi financing facility.He linked these issues to persistent insecurity, noting ongoing killings, kidnappings and displacement.“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 2027 presidential election will be a referendum on your record. Nigerians have felt the cost of your leadership in their homes, markets and communities,” Atiku said.    

Source: Blaming Opposition for Hunger Is Delusional — Atiku



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