Tinubu’s 3-yr Scorecard Written In ‘Hunger, Poverty, Tears Of Abducted Kids’ — Atiku

Former Vice President and 2027 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration, declaring that the government’s three-year report card was “written in hunger, poverty, and the tears of abducted children.”

Atiku said Nigerians were growing tired of what he described as “governance by propaganda” and warned that citizens were preparing to reclaim the country through the ballot box.

LEADERSHIP reports that President Tinubu, who assumed office on May 29, 2023, marks his third anniversary in office this Friday, May 29, 2026.

However, in a statement issued on Friday by Atiku’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former Vice President said the Tinubu administration’s legacy after three years in office was not reflected in government advertisements or official ceremonies, but in the hardship being experienced across the country.

“As the Tinubu administration marks three years in office, its most fitting report card is not the glossy advertisements, expensive media campaigns, or self-congratulatory speeches emanating from Abuja, but the tears of hungry families, the despair of unemployed youths, the collapse of businesses, and the haunting images of schoolchildren being abducted by criminals while a complacent government looks the other way,” Atiku said.

He accused the administration of failing to deliver on its promise of ‘renewed hope’, arguing that Nigerians were instead facing worsening economic conditions and insecurity.

“The facts are stubborn and unforgiving. Three years ago, President Tinubu promised renewed hope. What Nigerians have received instead is renewed hardship, renewed insecurity, renewed poverty, and renewed hopelessness,” he stated.

According to Atiku, inflation and the rising cost of living had pushed millions of Nigerians into deeper hardship, while businesses continued to shut down under economic pressure.

“Today, millions of Nigerians can no longer afford the basic necessities of life. Food prices have skyrocketed beyond the reach of ordinary families. Inflation has become a cruel tax on the poor. Small and medium-scale businesses are shutting their doors. Investors are fleeing uncertainty. The naira has been battered. Purchasing power has collapsed,” he said.

The ADC presidential candidate further accused the government of prioritising public relations over governance.

“Never in recent history have so many Nigerians worked so hard only to become poorer. Never has a government celebrated itself so loudly while its citizens suffered so deeply,” he added.

Atiku also questioned the Federal Government’s penchant for borrowing, alleging that massive loans had not translated into visible improvements in citizens’ lives.

“What makes this failure even more scandalous is the reckless borrowing that has accompanied it. This administration has borrowed trillions of naira in the name of infrastructure and economic development, yet Nigerians cannot see corresponding improvements in their daily lives,” he said.

He referenced reports indicating that while the Federal Government borrowed approximately N11.9 trillion within a nine-month period, only N3.1 trillion was reportedly spent on capital projects.

“Nigerians are therefore entitled to ask a simple question: where did the rest of the money go?” he queried.

Atiku further alleged that major infrastructure projects were being concentrated on politically connected interests, citing the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Badagry-Sokoto Highway.

“This administration has created the disturbing perception that while ordinary Nigerians are being asked to endure sacrifice, the benefits of government spending are increasingly flowing towards a privileged circle of politically connected interests,” he stated.

On insecurity, the former Vice President described the recent abductions of schoolchildren in Borno and Oyo states as evidence of the administration’s failure to secure lives and property.

“The recent abduction of schoolchildren in Borno State and the mass kidnapping of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State are not isolated incidents. They are the most accurate report card of this administration after three years in office,” he said.

“What greater evidence of failure can there be than parents sending their children to school only to receive news that they have been abducted? What greater symbol of governmental failure exists than classrooms becoming hunting grounds for criminals?” he asked.

Atiku argued that the government had become detached from the realities facing ordinary Nigerians.

“The tragedy of Borno and Oyo is not merely a security failure. It is the inevitable consequence of a government that has become detached from reality and addicted to propaganda,” he said.

He said the administration had spent the last three years attempting to convince Nigerians to ignore their daily struggles.

“They tell Nigerians the economy is improving, yet families skip meals. They tell Nigerians that insecurity is declining, yet communities live in fear. They tell Nigerians prosperity is around the corner, yet businesses continue to collapse under unbearable pressure,” he stated.

“No amount of propaganda can fill an empty stomach. No amount of spin can erase insecurity.”

Atiku warned that Nigerians were becoming increasingly politically conscious and determined to demand accountability.

“There is a difference between patience and satisfaction. There is a difference between endurance and approval,” he said.

“The signs are everywhere. Across the country, Nigerians are asking hard questions. They are demanding accountability. They are refusing to be distracted by slogans and political theatre.”

He urged Nigerians to use democratic means to effect political change, insisting that the ballot box remained the most powerful tool available to citizens.

“The ballot box remains the most powerful weapon in the hands of the people. It is stronger than propaganda. It is stronger than intimidation. It is stronger than incumbency,” he stated.

Atiku also disclosed that the ADC would soon unveil a comprehensive policy blueprint to address the country’s economic and security challenges.

“In the coming weeks, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) will unveil a comprehensive policy blueprint that is the product of rigorous research, extensive consultations, and a painstaking review of the economic, security, institutional, and governance failures that have defined the APC administration,” he said.

He promised that the document would focus on economic recovery, job creation, security sector reform, fiscal discipline, healthcare, education, and institutional reforms.

“As the Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress, I make a solemn pledge to Nigerians that our campaign will be driven by ideas, not insults; by solutions, not slogans; and by competence, not propaganda,” Atiku added.

The former Vice President expressed confidence that Nigeria could still recover through accountable leadership, economic justice, and improved national security.

“The era of excuses is ending. The era of accountability is approaching. The era of propaganda is fading. And with the support of Nigerians, a new chapter of competence, prosperity, security, and genuine hope shall begin,” he declared.