By Samuel Olusegun Precious
Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar has fired back at President Bola Tinubu’s 66th Independence Day address, accusing the administration of making promises without easing hardship.
In his own Independence Day State of the Nation address on Thursday, Atiku questioned Tinubu’s earlier promise to reduce transportation costs from October 1.
“Before I forget, you promised Nigerians lower transport fares from October 1. Today is October 1. Did your promise miss the bus?” Atiku asked.
He said Tinubu’s claim that Nigeria has entered an “age of prosperity” does not reflect reality, noting that rising costs of food, fuel and transport have continued to erode workers’ purchasing power.
“A president may announce a new chapter in a speech. He cannot put food onto a family’s table or money into a worker’s pocket,” Atiku said.
The former VP illustrated the pressure, saying the current N70,000 minimum wage buys about 50 litres of petrol, compared with 118 litres that the former N30,000 wage bought in April 2023.
Atiku also challenged the Federal Government to account for reported ₦750bn cash transfers, saying Nigerians were told 10 million people were paid ₦75,000 each.
“If you could find 10 million people to pay, you can account for the payments,” he said. On fuel subsidy, Atiku vowed that if elected in 2027, he would introduce a “capped, budgeted production subsidy tied to verified fuel refined in Nigeria only,” with imported petrol excluded.
He said costs would be published and audited.He also called for due process in the cases of Nnamdi Kanu, Sheikh Sani Khalifa Zaria and former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and faulted the handling of security.
President Tinubu had in his broadcast ruled out the return of subsidy, saying “The emergency treatment is over. The foundation has been repaired… We have passed through our own Red Sea.”
