President Bola Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar have clashed over the worsening economic hardship in Nigeria, with the president blaming the opposition for hunger and poverty while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate challenged him to take responsibility for his administration’s record.
The exchange followed Tinubu’s campaign flag-off for the 2027 presidential election at the Kaduna Township Stadium on Saturday, where he defended his government’s economic policies and accused opposition parties of creating the hardship they now criticise.
Addressing supporters at the All Progressives Congress (APC) rally, Tinubu said his administration was working to address the challenges facing Nigerians and promised greater prosperity if re-elected for a second term.
“I hear my opponents talking about hunger and poverty. Who created it? They did! They created hunger, they created poverty, we are trying to eradicate it,” the president said.
Tinubu also defended the removal of petrol subsidy, a major issue ahead of the 2027 election, following promises by some opposition figures, including Atiku, to restore the policy if elected.
“Be careful; watch them. Don’t let them lie to you. What is past is in the past. Fuel subsidy is in our past: no more corruption, no more falsification of invoices, no more lies, no more smuggling of fuel,” he said.
The president assured supporters that his administration would sustain its economic policies and deliver prosperity, adding that regular salary payments and the performance of APC governors were evidence of progress.
However, Atiku, in a statement issued by the Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, dismissed Tinubu’s remarks as delusional and an attempt to evade responsibility for the country’s economic difficulties.
The former vice president said the APC had governed Nigeria for eight years before Tinubu assumed office, arguing that the ruling party could not absolve itself of responsibility for the hardship confronting citizens.
“You have added another three and a half years. Nigerians know who has been in power, and hardship did not begin when the opposition started talking about it. Stop insulting their intelligence and answer for your record,” Atiku said.
He urged Tinubu to acknowledge the impact of his administration’s policies rather than blame opposition parties for the rising cost of living and other economic challenges.
Atiku also criticised the president over the state of infrastructure, citing the Abuja-Kaduna expressway and accusing him of being disconnected from the daily struggles of Nigerians.
He argued that commissioning an unfinished road from inside a stadium could not substitute for delivering completed infrastructure projects.
The ADC candidate further challenged Tinubu to explain the removal of petrol subsidy, the depreciation of the naira and the country’s rising poverty levels.
He cited the depreciation of the naira from about N471 to N1,329 to the dollar and referred to a World Bank estimate that 63 per cent of Nigerians would be living below the national poverty line in 2026.
Atiku also raised questions about government spending, including N7.13 trillion reportedly recorded under energy security in 2024, N11.2 trillion in NNPC pipeline-related spending, and a $12.4 billion gap he said was flagged in Nigeria’s external accounts for the first half of 2026.
He equally questioned the extension of the 2024 budget into 2025, the operation of a separate 2025 budget and the payment of $22.5 million in “other charges” on an Abu Dhabi financing facility.
The former vice president also faulted the administration over persistent insecurity, citing killings, kidnappings and the displacement of communities across the country.
“These are the questions Nigerians are asking while your government blames the opposition,” he said.
Atiku maintained that the 2027 presidential election would provide an opportunity for Nigerians to assess Tinubu’s performance, insisting that voters would judge the administration by their experiences at home, in markets and in their communities.
“The 2027 presidential election will be a referendum on your record,” he added.
Meanwhile, Vice President Kashim Shettima defended Tinubu’s political record, particularly his relationships with northern leaders, citing his support for Atiku in 2007, Nuhu Ribadu in 2011 and former President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 and 2019 elections.
Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani also urged APC supporters to remain vigilant, alleging that opposition parties had expanded their campaign strategies to include artificial intelligence-generated content.
The rally was attended by APC campaign Director-General Abdulaziz Yari, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Minister of Works Dave Umahi, First Lady Remi Tinubu, APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda and governors from the North-West, among other party leaders.
The exchange underscores the economy’s emergence as a major battleground ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with the ruling APC defending its policies and the opposition seeking to make the rising cost of living, poverty and insecurity central to its campaign.
