Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has criticised President Bola Tinubu over the N70,000 national minimum wage.
The former vice president argued that rising fuel, food, transport and housing costs have weakened the purchasing power of Nigerian workers.
Atiku said the Federal Government should urgently consider a substantial increase in workers’ wages rather than relying on the statutory minimum wage agreed with organised labour in 2024.
He made the position known in a statement issued on Sunday by the Director of Strategic Communications of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu.
According to the former vice president, the N70,000 minimum wage no longer provides sufficient relief for workers because of the sharp increase in the cost of essential goods and services.
“At N1,400 a litre, the entire N70,000 monthly minimum wage buys just 50 litres of petrol. What does the worker take home to feed the children? What pays the rent? What gets that worker back to work on Monday?” the statement queried.
Atiku compared the purchasing power of the current minimum wage with that of the previous N30,000 wage, using petrol prices as an example.
According to him, the national average petrol price was N254.06 per litre in April 2023, meaning that N30,000 could purchase approximately 118 litres of petrol at the time. By comparison, N70,000 at a petrol price of N1,400 per litre would purchase only about 50 litres.
“The payslip has grown, but the fuel it can buy has more than halved. Tinubu has given workers a larger number and left them with a smaller life. That is hardship dressed up as a wage increase,” Atiku said.
The minimum wage was increased from N30,000 to N70,000 in 2024 following negotiations between the Federal Government and organised labour. Tinubu had said the new wage would be reviewed after three years.
Atiku, however, maintained that the review timeline should not prevent the government from responding to worsening economic conditions.
He also linked the pressure on workers to the removal of petrol subsidy, a policy introduced by Tinubu at the beginning of his administration in May 2023.
“The government pulled away the floor, offered workers a flimsy umbrella and now applauds itself while the rain beats down on them,” he said.
According to Atiku, the impact of fuel prices goes beyond the cost of filling a vehicle because transportation and energy expenses affect the prices of food and other essential commodities.
“Petrol does not stay at the pump. Its price follows the farmer to market, enters the baker’s oven and appears in the fare a parent pays to take a child to school,” he said.
The former vice president called on Tinubu to clearly state whether his administration intended to increase workers’ wages, arguing that Nigerians should not be left waiting through prolonged negotiations without a definite position from the government.
“If he has no intention of raising workers’ pay, he should say so plainly and stop stringing the Nigeria Labour Congress and other labour leaders along. Nigerian workers deserve an answer, not another round of meetings that ends where it began,” Atiku said.
He also used the issue to outline what he said would be his approach if elected president in 2027.
Atiku promised that his administration would begin the process of increasing the wage floor from its first day in office.
“I will begin the work of raising the wage floor from my first day in office,” he assured.
He said a higher wage would be accompanied by measures aimed at reducing the cost of living, including support for domestic production, targeted social protection and interventions in the petroleum sector.
Atiku also proposed what he described as a targeted production subsidy for petroleum products refined in Nigeria and sold to Nigerians. He said such government support would be subject to spending limits, public accounting and independent auditing.
“Government support must produce measurable relief at the pump,” he said.
The former vice president argued that increasing wages alone would not solve the economic difficulties facing households if the prices of food, energy, transport and other essential commodities continued to rise.
“Nigerians do not eat FAAC figures. A full treasury is no answer to an empty kitchen. The test of this government is whether the men and women who work all month can live on what they earn,” Atiku said.
He added, “A living wage must buy a living. It is not a privilege; it is a basic right.”
Atiku added, “Tinubu has made life painfully expensive. I will make life affordable again.”
His latest comments are part of his criticism of the Tinubu administration’s handling of the economy and the removal of petrol subsidy.
Atiku has previously said that he would restore the subsidy if elected president in 2027.
During a Facebook Live session in August, Atiku said his position had changed after the subsidy was removed and questioned how the savings from the policy were being used.
“I initially did not oppose the removal of the fuel subsidy. But now that it has been removed, where is the money? Where has the subsidy money gone? Has it been used to improve healthcare, education or security?” he asked.
He then said, “If I win the presidential election, I will restore the subsidy. And anyone who stole Nigeria’s subsidy funds must return the money.”
Tinubu announced the removal of the petrol subsidy during his inauguration on May 29, 2023. The decision was followed by a major increase in petrol prices and higher transportation and living costs.
The President has defended the policy as necessary for Nigeria’s economic restructuring, arguing that the subsidy had become too costly and had created opportunities for corruption.
