Atiku Disputes Tinubu’s Prosperity Claim, Says It Does Not Reflect Reality In Nigeria

Former Vice President and Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has dismissed President Bola Tinubu’s recent assertion that Nigeria’s prosperity is on the horizon and that the quality of life is improving. Atiku described the remarks as disconnected from the realities confronting millions of Nigerians.

In a statement issued on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku questioned whether the President was referring to a different country, insisting that the prevailing economic and security conditions paint a starkly different picture.

According to the former Vice President, ordinary Nigerians continue to grapple with soaring inflation, rising living costs, unemployment, insecurity and shrinking purchasing power, making claims of improving prosperity difficult to reconcile with daily realities.

He argued that market traders had seen their businesses weakened by inflation, civil servants’ salaries no longer lasted through the month, manufacturers were struggling with high energy costs, while unemployed graduates faced uncertain futures.

Atiku also pointed to worsening insecurity, saying farming communities had been displaced by terrorists and bandits, while kidnappings and violent attacks continued to leave many families living in fear.

While acknowledging that the Tinubu administration inherited significant economic and security challenges, Atiku maintained that the President was elected to address those problems rather than continue attributing them to previous administrations.

“The Constitution did not swear President Tinubu into office to explain history. It swore him into office to change it,” he said, arguing that after more than three years in office, the government could no longer rely on blaming its predecessors for current challenges.

He further accused the administration of presiding over unprecedented economic hardship, fiscal recklessness and a lack of transparency, alleging that millions of Nigerians had been pushed deeper into poverty while a privileged few benefited from government policies.

Atiku also criticised President Tinubu’s comments on Nigeria’s growing population, saying countries such as China achieved economic success by investing in manufacturing, infrastructure, education, technology and export-led industrialisation rather than treating population growth as a burden.

He said an ADC-led administration would focus on investing in manufacturing, agriculture, modern infrastructure, quality education, skills development and export-oriented industries to harness Nigeria’s youthful population as an economic advantage.

According to him, Nigerians were not responsible for the country’s current predicament, insisting that poor leadership was the major challenge.

The former Vice President also described as insensitive any suggestion that Nigerians should accept present hardship because previous generations experienced hunger.

He argued that citizens elected the current administration to tackle today’s economic realities, not to justify them by referencing historical challenges.

Atiku maintained that hope could not be sustained through speeches alone but must be backed by policies that deliver affordable food, reliable electricity, employment opportunities, quality education, accessible healthcare and improved security.

He urged President Tinubu to move beyond official briefings and engage directly with the everyday experiences of Nigerians.

“If the President truly believes that the quality of life is improving, then one must respectfully remind him that the Nigeria he is talking about exists only in his head,” Atiku said.

The statement follows recent remarks by President Tinubu in which he expressed optimism that government reforms were beginning to yield results and that prosperity was on the horizon for Nigerians.