Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of economic failure, blaming rising energy costs, high interest rates and increasing production expenses for the closure of several bakery businesses across Nigeria.

Atiku’s reaction followed a disclosure by the Premium Breadmakers Association of Nigeria (PBAN) that it had lost nearly 40 per cent of its membership within two years, reflecting the growing pressure on businesses in the country’s food production sector.

In a statement issued in Bauchi on Saturday, November 14, by his Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council and Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the development highlighted the economic difficulties facing Nigerian businesses and households.

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He said he was in Bauchi to continue promoting his affordable life campaign and sympathise with Nigerians struggling with the consequences of the Tinubu administration’s economic policies.

According to him, the decline in the association’s membership reflects the human and business costs of an economy where rising operating expenses are making it increasingly difficult for businesses to remain profitable.

The former vice president noted that the situation had resulted in bakery closures, job losses and higher bread prices, adding that millions of Nigerian households who depend on bread as a staple food were increasingly finding it difficult to cope with rising costs.

Atiku also raised concerns over the rising price of cooking gas, which he said had reached ₦1,800 per kilogram in Abuja and ₦1,650 in parts of Lagos and Ogun states.

He further cited reports that depot prices increased by 31.8 per cent in one month, moving from ₦1,100 to ₦1,450 per kilogram.

The ADC chieftain said energy costs account for approximately half of bakery production expenses, citing the example of an operator whose monthly diesel bill reportedly increased from ₦9 million to ₦19 million.

He added that small bakery operators could require between ₦40 million and ₦50 million to transition to alternative energy sources, while businesses seeking financing were being quoted interest rates as high as 34 per cent.

Reacting to the development, Atiku said the economic challenges confronting farmers, manufacturers and bakers showed that the government’s reforms had failed to deliver the expected relief.

“From farmers to manufacturers and now bakers, the verdict on Tinubu’s economic reforms cannot be clearer: they have been a monumental failure,” he said.

He also questioned the Federal Government’s borrowing despite the difficulties facing local businesses, arguing that Nigerians deserved to know how the loans were being utilised.

“The irony is that while the economy is falling under Bola Tinubu’s watch, his government has accumulated local and foreign loans in astronomical figures,” Atiku stated.

“If local businesses are dying while the government continues to borrow, Nigerians are entitled to ask where these loans are going.”

Atiku maintained that improving local production across different sectors would be a major priority of his proposed administration, stressing that economic recovery should extend beyond crude oil refining.

“The major policy plank of my administration will be to improve local production in every sphere of the economy, not just crude oil refining,” he said.

He added that his proposed Atiku Economic Recovery Plan recognised the difficulties confronting farmers, manufacturers, bakers and other participants in local production.

The former vice president urged the Federal Government to urgently address rising energy costs and the shortage of affordable financing, warning that continued pressure on productive businesses could lead to further closures, job losses and higher prices for essential goods.

He reaffirmed his commitment to building an economy that supports local industries, protects employment and makes basic necessities more affordable for Nigerian households.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) over its decision to initiate disciplinary proceedings against lawyer and politician, Kalu Kalu, accusing the association of allowing itself to be drawn into a political battle against the opposition.

In a press statement dated Saturday, November 14, 2026, and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC questioned the NBA’s decision to pursue disciplinary action against Kalu over his comments concerning Justice Peter Lifu.

The party said it supports constructive engagement, restraint and respect for institutions but described the NBA’s reaction to Kalu’s remarks as curious, particularly in view of previous judicial criticism of Justice Lifu.

The ADC specifically referenced a June 2026 ruling by the Court of Appeal, which it said described the judge’s conduct as the “highest form of judicial impertinence” and cited a Supreme Court precedent characterising such conduct as judicial rascality.

It questioned why the NBA had not expressed similar concern when the appellate court raised serious issues about the conduct of a judicial officer.

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The party said, “Why is the NBA only now finding its voice because a politician, who also happens to be a lawyer, has said something that some people find uncomfortable? What has Kalu Kalu said about Justice Peter Lifu that the Court of Appeal has not already said?”

The ADC warned the NBA against actions that could create the impression that it was taking sides in the political dispute involving the ruling party and the opposition.

It also expressed concern over what it described as attempts by powerful political interests to influence judicial institutions and the Nigerian Bar, insisting that the NBA must protect its reputation as an independent professional association.

“We respect the NBA for its noble history in the defence of democracy and the rule of law. However, the Association must be careful not to allow itself to be perceived as throwing its hat into the political ring on the side of a ruling party that already boasts openly of hijacking our judicial institutions and the Nigerian Bar,” the statement read.

The opposition party maintained that public confidence in the judiciary was threatened more by alleged misconduct within the legal and judicial systems than by criticism from politicians and lawyers.

It argued that the NBA should focus on addressing conduct capable of undermining the administration of justice rather than targeting Kalu for expressing his views.

“The NBA cannot demand respect for the judiciary while appearing indifferent to conduct that brings the judiciary into disrepute. Respect for the courts must never become a requirement for silence in the face of injustice,” the ADC said.

The party, however, acknowledged the importance of professional restraint among lawyers but insisted that such expectations should not prevent them from speaking against perceived injustice.

“We agree that lawyers must exercise restraint. But there is no respectful way to address evil, and the NBA cannot teach us one,” Abdullahi added.

The ADC’s reaction follows reports that the Nigerian Bar Association had initiated disciplinary steps against Kalu Kalu over his remarks concerning Justice Peter Lifu.

The NBA’s action reportedly followed controversial comments by Kalu about the judge in connection with the ongoing legal dispute surrounding the ADC’s leadership.

The development attracted attention after the NBA moved to refer the matter to its Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, raising concerns about professional conduct and the limits of public criticism of judicial officers.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed reports claiming that its Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, is preparing to resign, describing the circulating claim as false, fabricated and misleading.

The commission’s clarification comes amid growing scrutiny of Amupitan’s leadership following a protest by Nigerians in London, who demanded his resignation over alleged irregularities in the preliminary voters’ register ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The protesters confronted the INEC chairman on Thursday, November 12, outside Chatham House in London, where he had attended a discussion on Nigeria’s preparations for the 2027 elections.

SEE MORE: 2027 Election: INEC Uncovers 1.5m Voter Registration Irregularities, Seeks UN Support

Reports of the incident indicated that the demonstrators surrounded the vehicle conveying Amupitan as he departed the venue, demanding that he come out and address their concerns.

Some protesters accused INEC of compromising its independence and favouring President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). They also described the electoral commission as a “criminal organisation”.

Their complaints centred on alleged multiple voter registrations, questionable polling units and photographs suspected to have been generated or manipulated using artificial intelligence in the preliminary voters’ register.

The controversy followed growing public concerns over suspicious entries in the register, prompting INEC to review records generated during the 2025 and 2026 Continuous Voter Registration exercises.

On November 9, Amupitan disclosed that the commission had removed 1,608,660 invalid voter registrations following the review. He also announced the removal of 873 records belonging to verified deceased persons.

The INEC chairman further revealed that 54 individuals across 10 states had been identified as allegedly involved in registration irregularities and could face disciplinary action, including prosecution.

He explained that the identified irregularities included suspected multiple registrations, substituted photographs and breaches of established registration procedures.

INEC also maintained that some questionable records circulating on social media originated from previous registration exercises dating back to 2011.

During his engagement at Chatham House, Amupitan acknowledged that controversies surrounding the 2023 general elections had affected public confidence in the commission.

He, however, maintained that INEC was introducing additional technical safeguards to prevent inaccurate polling unit results and figures indicating over-voting from being uploaded to its Result Viewing Portal ahead of the 2027 elections.

The chairman also pledged not to accept any political or diplomatic appointment after his tenure, insisting that such a move could undermine public confidence in his leadership.

“I’m not going to accept any appointment from anybody because coming to serve here is based on trust,” he said.

However, reacting to the resignation claim on Saturday, November 14, INEC issued a statement titled Fake News Alert, saying its attention had been drawn to a misleading image circulating on social media alleging that Amupitan was set to resign.

“The claim is FALSE, FABRICATED AND MISLEADING,” the commission declared.

INEC urged members of the public to disregard the report, refrain from sharing unverified information and rely solely on its official communication channels for authentic updates.

The commission added: “Stop the spread of fake news.”

The clarification comes as the electoral body faces increasing pressure to demonstrate transparency, independence and credibility ahead of the 2027 general elections.