Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has faulted President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying that more than two years into office, the government has shown no clear capacity to tackle the worsening hunger and poverty across Nigeria.
The African Democratic Party (ADC) chieftain described the scale of hunger in the country as alarming, particularly among the most vulnerable groups.
“Whatever reform the Tinubu government might claim to be undertaking, the point remains that food insecurity is a daily occurrence nationwide. There is no government worth its salt that does not place priority on the welfare and security of the people,” Atiku said.
Warning of possible consequences, he noted that “most violent socio-political uprisings and revolutions around the world have been driven by widespread hunger and unbearable living conditions, especially the paradox of extreme poverty in a land of abundance.”
In a statement released on Monday through his spokesman, Paul Ibe, Atiku emphasized that safeguarding the welfare and security of citizens is the foremost duty of any government.
He lamented that under the Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC), millions of Nigerians continue to be trapped in poverty and despair. He linked the current hardship to an increase in crimes such as fraud, terrorism, kidnapping, cultism, drug abuse, and ritual killings.
Atiku urged that the “current unacceptable situation offers an opportunity for reflection,” citing global historical precedents like the French Revolution, the 1917 Russian Revolution, and the Arab Spring.
He recalled how the self-immolation of a young man in Tunisia sparked massive protests that spread across the Middle East and North Africa.
Referencing Nigeria, Atiku suggested that the “ENDSARS” protests were also fueled by hunger and government insensitivity.
He stressed that reforms should serve citizens, not the other way around, and urged the Tinubu administration to make its policies more humane.
“Whether the present powers accept it or not, the reality of our existence is that the poor are increasingly dying of hunger while the majority of the living poor exists at the mercy of the ill-advised policies of this government,” Atiku said.
What You Should Know
Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President and ADC chieftain, criticized President Tinubu’s handling of hunger and poverty, warning that hardship could spark unrest.
Drawing from global examples like the Arab Spring, he urged the government to implement people-centered reforms, stressing that millions of Nigerians remain trapped in worsening economic conditions.
