Former vice president and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has questioned why millions of Nigerians continue to grapple with worsening poverty despite claims of economic recovery by President Bola Tinubu administration.
Atiku, in a statement issued on Monday by his senior special assistant on public communication, Phrank Shaibu, said the presidency had failed to answer the pressing questions confronting Nigerians.
“If the economy is doing so well, why are Nigerians getting poorer?” he asked.
The former vice president accused the Tinubu-led federal government of celebrating macroeconomic indicators while ignoring the economic realities facing ordinary citizens.
“The State House celebrates macroeconomic indicators while ordinary Nigerians struggle with microeconomic realities. It speaks glowingly about GDP growth while families skip meals. It boasts of debt ratios while businesses shut their doors,” Atiku said.
He argued that economic reforms introduced since 2024 had inflicted lasting hardship on Nigerians, insisting that the consequences could not be erased through what he described as “revisionism, selective statistics or government propaganda.”
According to him, although the Presidency frequently points to improvements in economic indicators, international institutions have continued to highlight rising poverty and food insecurity.
Citing the International Monetary Fund’s Article IV Consultation, Atiku noted that about 63 per cent of Nigerians now live below the national poverty line, while an estimated 27 million people experienced food insecurity in late 2025.
“Governments are not elected to improve spreadsheets. They are elected to improve the lives of their people. Nigerians cannot eat GDP. They cannot cook with debt-to-GDP ratios. They cannot pay school fees with statistical projections,” he said.
Atiku further criticised the Federal Government’s growing debt profile, questioning what Nigerians had gained from the borrowing.
“No serious economist argues that borrowing is inherently wrong. Nations borrow. The real question is this: what has Nigeria obtained in return for the unprecedented debts accumulated under this administration?” he said.
He argued that despite government claims of improved revenues following the removal of fuel subsidy and higher tax collections, Nigerians were still facing record inflation, rising unemployment, unreliable electricity and worsening insecurity.
“If revenue has improved so dramatically; if subsidy has been removed; if tax collection has increased; and if debt servicing has supposedly become more manageable, why does this administration continue to borrow at record levels?” he queried.
On fuel subsidy removal, Atiku maintained that Nigerians had never opposed difficult economic reforms but wanted to see tangible benefits.
“No serious economist disputes that fuel subsidy had become unsustainable. The real question has never been whether subsidy should be removed. The question is: where are the gains?” he asked.
He said the administration had promised that savings from subsidy removal would be invested in infrastructure, healthcare, education and social protection but argued that Nigerians had instead been left with soaring fuel prices, rising transport fares and declining purchasing power.
Atiku also challenged the Presidency’s claim that increased allocations to states and local governments demonstrated the success of the reforms.
“Yes, FAAC allocations have increased significantly. But increased allocations are not an end in themselves. They must translate into visible improvements in the lives of citizens,” he said.
The former vice president also criticised the government’s tax reforms, saying higher taxes could not drive prosperity in an economy where businesses were already struggling with rising energy costs, multiple taxes and declining consumer demand.
On healthcare, Atiku rejected the administration’s claims of significant progress, arguing that improvements should be measured by citizens’ access to affordable and quality medical care rather than the number of projects commissioned.
He also questioned the government’s education reforms, insisting that student loans alone could not address broader challenges such as poor infrastructure, out-of-school children and insecurity affecting schools.
Atiku further argued that the moderation in inflation frequently cited by the government did not translate into lower prices for consumers.
“A reduction in the rate of inflation simply means prices are rising more slowly than before. It does not mean they have returned to affordable levels,” he said.
According to him, the true test of any economic policy should be whether it improves living standards.
“The government cannot ask Nigerians to celebrate statistical moderation while families continue to skip meals because food remains unaffordable,” he added.
Atiku’s latest remarks come after the Presidency defended the federal government’s economic reforms, insisting that the Nigerian economy is on the path to recovery and citing improvements in key macroeconomic indicators, including GDP growth, inflation moderation and increased government revenue.
