Former Vice President and 2027 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has challenged President Bola Tinubu over the worsening cost of living, asking why Nigerians are finding it increasingly difficult to afford food after three years of his administration.
Atiku made the remarks in his Independence Day state-of-the-nation address, responding to Tinubu’s national broadcast marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary.
Tinubu had described Nigeria as a patient undergoing painful treatment, while declaring that the country had moved beyond the emergency phase and entered an “age of prosperity.”
But Atiku questioned the impact of the reforms on ordinary Nigerians.
“Bola, where is the prosperity?” Atiku asked.
He said a president could announce a new chapter in a speech, but could not simply announce food onto a family’s table or money into a worker’s pocket.
“Bola, you call Nigeria a patient with cancer. After three years of your treatment, why is it harder for Nigerians to buy food, pay for medicine, or even get to work?” he asked.
Atiku also questioned why government revenues could rise while Nigerians’ purchasing power continued to decline.
“Why does your government have more money while the people can afford less?” he asked.
The ADC presidential candidate further argued that a slower rise in prices does not restore the purchasing power families have already lost, while economic growth and rising exports must translate into improved living conditions.
He also criticised the removal of fuel subsidy, saying it was implemented without adequate protection for families who would bear the consequences.
According to Atiku, the policy contributed to higher petrol and transportation costs, which subsequently affected the cost of moving food and other goods.
“Three years later, the pain has an address in every home. Bola Tinubu, where is the benefit?” he asked.
Atiku also raised concerns over insecurity, saying armed groups had killed thousands and displaced families, while farmers, parents and other Nigerians continued to live with fear.
He nevertheless urged Nigerians not to surrender to despair, saying the country still had a path to recovery.
“Despair is not a strategy. We have a path to recovery, and we must take it,” he said.

Former Vice President and 2027 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of plunging Nigeria into what he described as the country’s most severe cost-of-living crisis.

Atiku made the accusation in his Independence Day message as Nigeria marks 66 years of independence on Thursday.

According to him, millions of Nigerians are still struggling to access basic necessities, including food, decent wages and personal safety.

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He said, “Since after independence, millions of Nigerians are fighting for things a free country should never put beyond their reach: food on the table, a living wage that lasts the month, and a safe journey home.”

Atiku said the situation had worsened during Tinubu’s three years in office, alleging that families were increasingly being forced to skip meals, delay medical treatment and borrow money to survive until payday.

“Families are not merely tightening their belts; they are skipping meals, delaying treatment, and borrowing to survive until payday or whenever,” he said.

The former vice president also criticised what he described as the government’s repeated call for Nigerians to endure the hardship.

“And what has this government asked of them? More patience. More sacrifice,” Atiku stated.

His comments come amid continuing political debate over the effects of the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms and the rising cost of living.

Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s 66th Independence Day address, describing it as “rhetorical, wishful, ambitious” and “very, very disappointing and empty.”

Dalung made the remarks on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, shortly after the President addressed Nigerians to mark the country’s 66th Independence anniversary.

The former minister said Tinubu’s speech should have focused more on concrete achievements recorded by his administration since assuming office in 2023.

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According to him, the President should have addressed critical issues affecting Nigerians, including insecurity, agriculture, the economy, unemployment, hunger, poverty and foreign policy.

“But all that the president has done was to tell Nigeria the same stories: ‘Oh, be patient and expect our reforms will yield,’” Dalung said.

He also questioned the impact of the economic growth figures cited by the administration, arguing that such statistics should translate into improved living conditions for ordinary Nigerians.

“So if we have recorded 4% economic growth, how has that been able to affect an average Nigerian? Because it has to be translated into putting something before the ordinary Nigerians.
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“How does that 4% affect the cost of transportation and the purchasing power of Nigerians?” he asked.

Dalung said the government should move beyond presenting economic statistics and demonstrate how its reforms are affecting citizens.

He also criticised the President’s reference to Nigeria as a cancer patient when he assumed office, asking when Nigerians would begin to see the results of the treatment.

“The question is, when shall the cancer victim recover? Because it does appear that the surgery has put him in a coma,” he said.
The former minister further faulted Tinubu for what he described as inadequate attention to insecurity, particularly the plight of Nigerians in captivity.

“The president completely abandoned Nigerians who are in captivity,” Dalung said, adding that Plateau State was experiencing what he described as “a full-blown war” due to recurring attacks and mass burials.

He also recalled how an Independence Day address he heard in 1977 gave him hope because he could directly connect government policies with the support he received, including transportation, instructional materials, food and bedding.

Dalung argued that Tinubu’s address failed to create a similar connection with Nigerians.

He concluded that the speech was “more or less very rhetorical and ambitious” rather than practical and reflective of the realities confronting citizens.