Atiku’s Mid-term Score Card For Tinubu: You Have Failed; Nigeria Now World Poverty Capital

Atiku Abubakar, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, says the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has inflicted pains and hardship on Nigerians within two years in office.

The former vice president said the situation have never been so hard on Nigerians, saying previous administrations in the country did not make Nigerians suffered as the incumbent.

The former PDP presidential candidate made the remark on his Facebook page on Thursday noting also that the Tinubu administration has failed to be accountable to Nigerians as it has failed to show responsible leadership.

Abubakar spoke as President Tinubu marked two years in office as Nigeria’s leader and Commander-in-chief. The administration has rolled out the drums to celebrate its mid-term, saying it has done its best in terms of transforming the country citing the milestones it has achieved in the areas of security, infrastructure amongst others.

As part of the events marking his two years in office, president Tinubu has commissioned some projects , including the multi-trillion naira Lagos – Calabar Coastal Highway.

According to the former vice president the country has never been this bad, saying government officials have abandoned governance, and are now living ostentatious lifestyles at the expense of Nigerians.

He said while many Nigerians are struggling to survive officials in Tinubu’s government “are living in excess and approving budgets that benefit the elite”, the administration has set new records by making the country the world capital of poverty, considering the number of malnourished children in the country.

“This government has not only deepened poverty across the country, but it has also set new records in wasteful public spending. At a time when millions of Nigerians are struggling to survive, government officials are living in excess and approving budgets that benefit the elite at the expense of the common man. It is sad that apart from being the poverty capital of the world, Nigeria has under this administration emerged as the unenviable position as the capital of  malnourished children in Africa having beaten Sudan, a nation that is at war,” Abubakar said.

The poverty level in the country has worsen as the administration is only making the rich to be richer at the expense of poor Nigerians without any concrete efforts to bridge the gap of poverty, a situation that dragged Nigerians to the 18^th position in the Global Hunger Index, GHI in 2024.

He said, “According to the Global Hunger Index 2024, our country is one of the most affected by hunger and malnutrition, occupying the 18th position,

Policy after policy under this administration has targeted the poor while providing relief and advantage to the rich. From healthcare to education to identity management and basic public services, Nigerians are now faced with class-based systems where the wealthy enjoy VIP treatment, and the rest are left behind.”

Abubakar accused the administration of making life more difficult for Nigerians, saying Nigerians are now being charged for some essential services that are supposed to be provided free of charge. According to him, the government has also increased its appetite for loans, considering that the total debt stock in the last two years has risen significantly, with the an indication that more funds will still be borrowed locally and from foreign creditors, adding that the nation’s debt crisis under President Tinubu has worsened, noting that  there’s no justification for government to borrow.

“Just two weeks ago, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) hiked its fees by 75%, introducing VIP protocols for services that should be a basic right of citizenship. In education, public university fees have been raised far beyond the reach of poor families, with no adequate support mechanisms in place.

“Even more troubling is the scale of borrowing under this government. When President Tinubu assumed office in 2023, Nigeria’s total public debt stood at approximately N49 trillion. In just two years, that figure has skyrocketed to N144 trillion — a 150% increase — with more foreign loans now being requested, which could push the debt to N183 trillion.

“While the federal government racks up debt, state governments have shown more discipline, reducing their debt levels from N5.86 trillion to N3.97 trillion. The implication is clear: the federal government, under Tinubu, is the primary driver of Nigeria’s current debt crisis.

“President Tinubu’s justification — that new borrowing is needed to fund the 2025 budget and soften the impact of fuel subsidy removal — is both weak and dishonest. It was the reckless and insensitive way his government removed the subsidy that created much of today’s economic hardship in the first place,” Abubakar said.